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THE   GREEN   GATE. 


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r1 


THE 


G-BEEN    GATE. 


A   EOMAE"OE. 


BY 


ERNST  WICHERT. 


TRANSLATED    FKOM    THE    GEBMAN 
Br  MRS.  A.  L.  WISTER, 

TRANSLATOR    OF  "  THE   SECOND   WIFE,"  "  HULDA,"  "  THE  OLD  MAM'SELLE'S  SECEET," 
"  ONLY  A  GIRL,"  ETC. 


ftv 


PHILADELPHIA: 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   &   CO. 

1875. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  by 

J.  B.  LIPPING OTT  A   CO., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


THE    GREEN    GATE. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  train  was  rushing  through  one  of  the  many  tunnels  on 
the  road  across  the  Apennines  from  Bologna  to  Florence. 

In  a  second-class  carriage  the  flame  of  the  dim  oil  lamp 
in  the  roof  was  just  dying  out.  It  flashed  up  fitfully  now 
and  then,  as  if  to  look  after  matters  in  the  carriage ;  and  at 
each  revival  a  fat,  middle-aged  Italian  woman,  leaning  back 
against  the  black  cushions  in  a  corner,  opened  her  sleepy  eyes, 
only  to  close  them  immediately.  By  her  sat  a  puny  little 
man,  the  end  of  a  cigar  held  loosely  between  the  fingers  of 
the  hand  that  hung  down  at  his  side,  his  hat  upon  the  back 
of  his  head, — evidently,  judging  from  the  tone  of  the  con- 
versation lately  carried  on  between  himself  and  the  lady,  her 
husband.  In  another  corner  crouched  a  Frenchman,  his 
knees  drawn  up  almost  to  his  chin,  his  feet  cased  in  em- 
broidered slippers  ;  the  travelling-bag  hanging  above  him  pro- 
claimed him  a  commercial  traveller.  The  third  corner  was 
occupied  by  a  man  who  had  entered  the  carriage  at  Poretta, 
and  had  transferred  a  number  of  stones  from  his  various 
pockets  to  a  small  wallet  which  he  carried,  already  neary  full 
of  such  treasures.  From  the  colour  of  his  hair  and  beard, 
indeed,  from  the  entire  character  of  his  face  and  figure,  he 
would  have  passed  for  Italian,  and  he  exchanged  several  fluent 
remarks  in  that  tongue  with  the  guard  before  the  train  left 
the  station  at  Poretta.  Immediately  afterwards,  however,  he 

S32G73 


6  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

had  addressed  a  young  man  sitting  opposite  him  in  German, 
receiving  from  him  several  curt  answers  in  the  same  tongue, 
which  provoked  the  smiling  observation,  "  I  was  not  mistaken, 
then,  in  supposing  you  a  countryman  of  mine  ?  Only  a  German 
could  cast  such  keen  and  longing  glances  from  the  carriage- 
window  during  the  short  delay  at  the  station.  Confess  that 
the  frequent  tunnels  that  have  snatched  from  your  gaze  and 
plunged  into  blackest  night  so  much  of  the  romantic  scenery  of 
the  Apennines  have  fairly  disgusted  you,  and  that  you  are  ready 
to  cross  the  mountains  on  foot  that  you  may  see  something 
of  the  country  and  its  inhabitants."  The  stranger  admitted 
that  it  was  so,  except  that  his  slight  knowledge  of  Italian 
made  any  departure  from  the  beaten  track  of  travel  impossible 
for  him,  while  really  one  was  indemnified  now  and  then  for 
the  sudden  subterranean  night  by  exquisite  glimpses  of  moun- 
tain and  valley,  their  beauty  certainly  enhanced  by  force  of 
contrast.  Never  had  the  time  flown  so  quickly,  he  thought, 
as  during  these  last  few  hours.  "  We  are  a  contented  race," 
the  other  responded,  "  and  we  are  never  at  a  loss  to  find  rea- 
sons for  enjoyment."  And  there  the  conversation  halted  for 
awhile. 

The  traveller  who  had  shown  such  readiness  to  be  pleased 
maintained  during  the  remainder  of  the  journey  his  eager 
attitude  at  the  open  window,  determined  to  lose  no  glimpse, 
however  fleeting,  of  picturesque  beauty.  He  sat,  leaning 
forward  upon  his  elbow,  immovable,  even  while  the  train 
passed  through  the  longest  tunnels,  gazing  out  upon  the  black 
walls  of  rock,  dotted  here  and  there  with  sparks  from  the 
locomotive,  patiently  waiting  for  the  first  glimmer  of  daylight 
to  dawn  upon  the  blackness,  heralding  a  return  to  blue, 
sunny  skies,  lovelier  than  ever  after  the  moments  of  "  shades 
forlorn."  Evidently  his  mind  was  so  absorbed  in  thus  wait- 
ing and  enjoying  that  he  had  no  time  for  conversation  :  as  if 
fearful  of  losing  some  instant  view  if  he  allowed  his  attention  to 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  7 

stray  even  momentarily,  he  returned  monosyllabic  answers  to 
questions  addressed  to  him,  scarcely  turning  his  head  as  he 
spoke.  Nevertheless,  his  more  vivacious  neighbor  opposite 
contrived  to  learn  that  he  was  a  merchant,  or  the  son  of  a  mer- 
chant, and  from  a  commercial  city  in  Northern  Germany,  that 
he  had  never  been  in  Italy  before,  and  hoped  to  travel  as  far 
as  Palermo.  It  was  best,  he  thought,  to  plan  as  extensive 
a  journey  as  possible,  since  there  was  no  knowing  when  he 
should  be  able  to  leave  his  native  place  again.  This  was  his 
most  lengthy  remark,  made  in  the  pitchy  darkness  of  a  seem- 
ingly interminable  tunnel. 

And  now  they  had  just  entered  the  last.  "  Be  prepared 
now,"  said  the  other,  "  to  enjoy  something  really  worth  seeing, 
as  I  remember  it  upon  my  last  visit  to  Italy,  when  I  was  obliged 
from  lack  of  time  to  make  use  of  the  railway.  I  usually  pre- 
fer the  old  road  across  Lojano  and  Pietramala.  We  are  about 
to  leave  all  these  rocks,  and  at  our  feet  we  shall  have  the  lovely 
valley  of  the  Arno.  The  sun  is  just  low  enough  to  give  it  to 
us  in  its  most  beautiful  aspect.  See,  the  light  is  beginning  to 
gleam  on  the  damp  stone — there  !" 

He  was  right;  the  view  was  enchanting.  Around,  the  gray, 
rugged  rocks  were  still  keeping  sentinel.  Far  below  lay  the 
pretty  town  of  Pistoja ;  around  it  the  broad  valley,  dotted 
with  villas,  and,  in  the  distance,  the  spires  and  turrets  of 
Florence.  Even  the  Italians  cast  satisfied  glances  through 
their  window,  and  the  Frenchman  stretched  his  neck  curiously. 
An  "  ah  !"  escaped  the  parted  lips  of  the  North  German,  but  he 
gave  no  further  expression  to  his  admiration.  There  was  but 
little  time  for  enjoyment  of  the  distant  view  as  the  train  pur- 
sued its  winding  way  down  the  mountain-side. 

It  is  a  charming  ride  of  about  an  hour  from  Pistoja  to 
Florence,  through  gardens  of  olives  and  fruit,  past  charming 
villas,  with  glimpses  of  the  valley  bounded  by  the  spurs  of  the 
Apennines,  or,  on  the  other  side,  of  the  fruitful  plains  of  the 


8  THE  QREEN  GATE. 

Arno.  The  North  German  seemed  never  to  weary  of  all  this 
magnificence.  It  was  quite  late  when  he  took  out  his  guide- 
book, looked  for  Florence  in  the  index,  and  buried  himself  in 
descriptions  of  hotels  and  rates  of  droschky  hire. 

The  train,  once  arrived  at  the  "  Station  Centrale,"  was  soon 
emptied.  Those  who  had  been  for  so  long  shut  up  together 
in  the  narrow  space  of  the  same  compartment  scarcely  bowed 
in  token  of  adieu;  each  one  was  busied  about  his  or  her 
own  individual  interests.  At  the  top  of  the  steps  leading  up 
and  out  from  the  depot  into  the  public  square  were  stationed 
the  agents  of  the  various  hotels,  each  bawling  out  the  title  of 
his  special  caravansary, — "  Gran  Bretagna,"  "  Italia,"  "  Porta 
Rossa,"  "  Bonciani,"  "  Nuova  York,  ponte  alia  Carrajd,"  "  Roma, 
Roma !"  The  carriages  were  ranged  in  line  beside  the  narrow 
sidewalk,  their  doors  all  wide  open. 

The  traveller,  who  had  hitherto  been  so  easily  content,  now 
seemed  suddenly  to  become  fastidious ;  or  was  it  a  simple  fit 
of  indecision  that  prompted  him  to  walk  slowly  to  and  fro  past 
the  open  doors  of  the  carnages,  reading  and  re-reading  their 
titles,  but  apparently  forgetting  to  enter  any  one  of  them  ? 
As  he  was  turning  at  the  end  of  the  long  row,  he  perceived 
his  fellow-traveller  slowly  approaching  him,  and  his  face  bright- 
ened at  the  sight.  "  I  will  see  where  he  stops,"  he  evidently 
said  to  himself,  "and  follow  his  example." 

"  Well,  signer,"  his  former  companion  began,  "  has  your 
Baedccker  left  you  in  the  lurch  ?  In  truth,  choice  here  is  no 
easy  matter.  All  these  gorgeous  vehicles  appear  to  have  just 
come  brand-new  from  the  same  manufactory, — they  are  equally 
bright  with  varnish  and  gilding, — and  I  cannot  decide  whether 
crimson  or  green  plush  cushions  are  the  more  attractive.  They 
tell  nothing  of  the  quality  of  the  various  hotels  to  which  they 
severally  consign  their  prisoners.  Once  place  your  foot  within 
them,  and  there  is  no  escape.  Well,  can  you  not  make  up 
your  mind  ?*' 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  9 

"  I  should  like  to  select  an  inn,"  the  other  replied,  "  where 
they  speak  German  and  I  could  have  German  cooking." 

"  Ah,  there  is  no  way  of  telling  anything  about  that  from 
these  vehicles ;  and,  besides,  in  Italy  an  Italian  manage  is  sure 
to  be  the  best.  Follow  the  customs  of  the  country,  is  my 
motto." 

"  You  seem  to  be  familiar  with  the  place,  sir ;  perhaps  you 
can " 

"  Familiar !  This  is  not,  to  be  sure,  my  first  sight  of '  Firenze 
la  bella,'  but  my  stay  here  has  always  been  very  short,  and  I 
have  the  poorest  memory  for  the  names  of  hotels.  Roma, 
Italia,  Gran  Bretagna, — in  all  these  Italian  towns  really  there 
seems  to  be  no  specific  difference  between  them.  I  suppose  it 
is  of  small  consequence  which  we  choose.  Suppose  we  leave 
it  to  chance  ? — always  a  sure  refuge  for  travellers." 

"  I  agree,"  the  other  at  once  assented,  evidently  glad  to  be 
taken  in  charge. 

"  Name  some  number,  then." 

"A  number?" 

"  Any  number  you  choose." 

"  Twelve." 

"  Agreed !     To  the  right  or  the  left  ?" 

"  To  the  right." 

"  To  the  right  be  it,  then.  One — two — three — "  and  he 
counted  on  until  he  came  to  the  twelfth  vehicle  in  the  row. 
"  This  is  the  one.  Admirable  !  Gray  plush,  mirrors  at  the 
end,  and  wonderfully  clean.  Pray  get  in  ;  I  have  hopes  that 
we  have  drawn  a  prize."  He  threw  his  travelling-bag — with 
a  loud  rattle  of  the  stones  inside — upon  the  seat,  and  helped 
his  companion  to  enter.  "  Have  you  any  luggage  ?  Of  course 
you  have.  Give  me  your  ticket.  How  many  pieces?" 

The  conductor  now  made  his  appearance  and  took  matters 
in  hand.  In  a  few  moments  the  trunks  were  all  tumbled 
up  upon  the  roof  of  the  carriage,  the  porter  had  been  paid, 

A* 


10  •      THE  GREEN  GATE. 

and  the  vehicle  was  jolting  along  across  the  Piazza  Santa 
Maria  Novella  to  the  old  part  of  the  city,  past  the  Palazzo 
Strozzi,  and  into  one  of  the  side-streets  off  the  Via  Condotta. 
There  it  drew  up  before  an  antique  structure  with  a  spacious 
entrance  and  a  huge  portico.  With  its  dingy  stone  abutments, 
and  its  small  square  windows  in  the  lower  story,  protected  by 
rusty  iron  gratings,  it  looked  more  like  a  prison  than  a  resting- 
place  for  travellers  in  search  of  entertainment.  He  who  had 
go  recklessly  invoked  chance  to  aid,  looked  at  his  companion 
with  a  sly  smile,  but  the  latter  exclaimed,  with  a  beaming  coun- 
tenance, "  We  could  not  have  done  better.  I  delight  in  these 
old  places,  and  live  in  just  such  another  in  my  own  home. 
Oh,  the  houses  in  my  part  of  Germany  still  preserve  the 
memory  of  the  times  when  a  man  did  well  to  build  his  dwell- 
ing like  a  small  fortress.  Here  in  Italy  the  architecture " 

He  would  probably  have  continued  to  discourse  fluently 
upon  the  difference  between  the  mediaeval  architecture  of 
Northern  Germany  and  of  Italy,  but  his  mentor  was  already 
out  of  the  carriage,  and,  as  he  entered  beneath  the  portico, 
called  over  his  shoulder,  "  So  much  the  better,  so  much  the 
better.  Shall  I  order  an  apartment  for  you  ?" 

"  If  you  will  have  the  great  kindness  to  do  so,"  was  the 
reply,  as  the  speaker  slowly  entered  the  house,  glancing  ap- 
provingly at  the  facade  and  examining  with  interest  the  two 
figures  of  stone  at  the  entrance,  each  of  which  held  in  its  hands 
a  winged  wheel.  Gravely  following  his  guide,  who  was  con- 
versing with  great  vivacity  in  Italian,  he  reached  the  inner 
court,  around  which  ran  galleries,  while  a  little  fountain  gaily 
bubbled  and  leaped  in  one  corner,  whence  a  broad  flight  of 
steps,  much  worn  in  the  lower  portion,  led  upwards. 

The  preliminary  discussion  soon  came  to  an  end ;  the  lug- 
gage was  carried  up-stairs,  and  the  stranger,  as  he  took  his 
protege's  arm  and  followed  to  his  room,  remarked.  "  The  prices 
are  not  too  high,  although,  for  such  a  smoky  old  dungeon • 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  11 

But  it  will  be  better  inside.  The  present  host,  they  say,  is  an 
enterprising  fellow,  and  has  determined  to  make  a  first-class 
modern  hotel  out  of  this  mediaeval  albergo.  Signor  Uccello* 
is,  you  will  be  glad  to  hear,  a  German  by  birth ;  with  us  he 
would  be  '  Herr  Vogel.'  He  will  do  himself  the  honour  to 
wait  upon  us  at  dinner.  You  will  dine  ?  Dinner  will  be 
served  shortly." 

Meanwhile,  they  had  passed  along  a  gallery  lined  with  faded 
frescoes  and  through  an  archway  lighted  by  gas.  "  Here," 
said  the  waiter,  pointing  to  a  marble  doorway  with  broad  fold- 
ing-doors, "  is  the  dining-hall,  where  dinner  will  await  the 
signori  in  a  few  moments.  A  magnificent  apartment !  only  a 
few  months  ago  restored  at  great  expense.  The  rooms  of  the 
signori  are  here,"  and  he  threw  open  two  doors,  and,  entering, 
drew  aside  the  window-curtains.  "  The  signori  will  be  charmed 
with  the  views, — not  very  extensive,  but  so  interesting.  By 
leaning  out  a  little,  one  can  plainly  see  the  tower  of  the  Palazzo 
Vecchio.  Oh,  it  is  a  most  central  situation, — the  very  middle 
of  the  town." 

While  the  experienced  traveller,  without  paying  any  attention 
to  the  man's  praises  of  the  house,  was  testing  the  comfort  of 
the  beds  and  lounges,  the  other  was  examining  the  elaborate 
carving  of  the  wainscot  blackened  by  age.  "  This  must  be 
German  work,"  he  said  ;  "  I  have  seen  similar  patterns  in 
Nuremberg,  only  they  are  much  finer  in  this  olive-wood."  The 
waiter,  not  understanding  a  word  he  said,  assured  the  signori 
that  in  the  course  of  a  year  Signor  Uccello  would  have  all  that 
old  trash  removed;  all  the  rooms  were  to  be  "restored"  and 
papered  suitably,  but  such  alterations  took  time. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  so  barbarous  a  work  of  destruction  can  be 
permitted  in  Italy?"  cried  the  stranger,  in  dismay.  "I  should 
be  only  too  happy  to  pass  my  life  in  such  a  room  as  this !" 

*  "Uccello"  is  the  German  "Vogel"  and  the  English  "Bird." 


12  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"Aha,  you  are  a  lover  of  antiquities !"  remarked  his  fellow- 
traveller,  who  was  just  inspecting  the  washing-apparatus.  "  If 
that  is  the  case,  you  have  certainly  come  to  the  right  place, 
for,  unless  I  greatly  err,  we  are  in  the  palazzo  of  some  extinct 
noble  Florentine  family,  whose  very  name  is  probably  not 
known  to  more  than  ten  living  men.  Has  this  house  been 
a  hotel  for  many  years  ?"  he  asked  of  the  waiter. 

"  Very  many,"  the  man  replied  ;  "  but  it  was  formerly  in  bad 
hands,  and  has  been  left  to  go  to  ruin.  An  old  palazzo, 
signer." 

"  What  family  did  it  belong  to  ?" 

The  man  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  No  one  can  tell  you 
that,  signer.  There  are  many  hotels  here  that  once  belonged 
to  Italian  nobles.  But  no  one  cares  to  know  their  history, 
except  now  and  then  some  learned  professor." 

"You  hear,"  his  questioner  observed  to  his  companion. 
"  The  builder  of  this  palace  could  hardly  have  foreseen  that 
it  would  one  day  be  converted  into  an  inn  for  the  accom- 
modation of  strangers,  ignorant  even  of  his  name.  Tempora 
mutantur" 

Some  minutes  later  the  two  men  were  seated  at  table  in 
the  dining-hall,  which,  although  it  scarcely  justified  the  waiter's 
enthusiastic  praise,  was  nevertheless  a  noble  room.  The  boasted 
"restoration"  had  here,  fortunately,  effected  nothing  more 
than  a  papering  over  of  some  old  frescoes  on  the  walls,  and  a 
sweeping  and  scrubbing  of  the  marble  floor.  Although  the 
beautiful  ceiling  plainly  showed  traces  of  decay,  nothing  had 
been  attempted  in  the  way  of  repairing  it.  The  young  anti- 
quary bestowed  far  more  attention  upon  it  than  upon  the  table 
before  him. 

His  neighbor  touched  him  to  attract  his  notice  to  some 
dish  that  was  passing.  "  Do  you  know,"  he  said,  with  a  laugh, 
"  that  I  am  tempted  to  explore  Florence  with  you  ?" 

"  You  are  very  kind.     But  are  you  not  familiar  with  it?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  13 

"  I  mean  mediaeval  Florence.  I  know  the  modern  city 
pretty  thoroughly,  and  might  be  a  tolerable  guide  for  you,  but 
I  have  but  small  knowledge  of  mediaeval  Florence." 

"  I  thought  that  was  what  every  one  came  to  see." 

"  Oh,  the  place  has  a  multitude  of  attractions.  I  think  life 
here  may  be  very  delightful  even  if  one  does  not  visit  the 
Uffizi  daily.  And  hitherto  it  has  been  to  me  only  a  stopping- 
place  upon  my  various  journeys.  If  ever  I  make  a  wedding- 
tour,  I  shall  come  here  and  explore  the  place." 

"  You  enjoy  nature,  it  seems,  more  than  art?" 

"  Hm !  What  interests  me  in  nature  can  hardly  be  enjoyed 
in  your  acceptation  of  the  word.  I  am  a  student  of  natural 
history,  and  of  course  I  must  explore  the  mountains." 

"  That,  then,  is  the  reason  why  your  travelling-bag  was 
filled " 

"  With  stones  ?  Yes  ;  I  must  draw  water  everywhere  for 
my  mill.  You  understand  why  I  gave  a  week  to  Poretta, 
with  its  remarkable  sulphur  springs,  and  intended  to  pass 
only  a  single  night  at  Florence.  Now,  as  I  said,  I  am  tempted 
to  stay  a  day  longer." 

His  companion  took  from  his  pocket-book  a  card  and  handed 
it  to  him.  "  Allow  me  to  introduce  myself,"  he  said. 

He  of  the  dark  beard  bowed,  with  a  smile.  "  Philip  Am- 
berger,"  he  read,  half  aloud,  "  and  no  designation.  I  sus- 
pected a  secret  associate  in  you,  I  admit,  for  that  you  were  a 
merchant,  as  you  hinted  in  the  railway-carriage " 

"  I  may  perhaps  be  called  a  merchant,"  Amberger  inter- 
rupted him.  "  The  calling  has  been  an  inheritance  in  our 
family  for  centuries,  and  my  late  father  wished  that  both  his 
sons  should  take  an  interest  in  commerce.  My  inclinations 
were  early  opposed  to  trade." 

"You  have  a  brother?" 

"  Moritz  Amberger.  He  is  a  genuine  merchant,  and  we 
each  accord  all  freedom  to  the  other.  My  father,  it  is  true, 

2 


14  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

hoped  we  should  work  together Oh,  thank  you  !"  This 

exclamation  had  reference  to  the  card  that  his  neighbor 
handed  to  him  at  that  moment :  " '  Dr.  Xaver  Schonrade, 
Professor,' — ah,  Professor  :  I  thought  so." 

They  shook  hands.  "  Our  dessert  will  have  a  better  relish," 
the  Professor  said,  kindly.  "  What  do  you  say  to  a  walk 
through  the  town  afterwards?" 

Amberger  agreed.  "  It  is  bright  moonlight,"  he  said ; 
"  nothing  could  be  more  delightful." 

Signor  Uccello  presented  himself  to  the  two  gentlemen  as  a 
compatriot.  His  German  name  had  been  "  Vogelstein,"  but 
some  twenty  years  previously,  when  he  came  to  Italy  to  found 
a  home  in  a  new  country,  he  had,  for  the  sake  of  brevity, 
dropped  the  "stein,"  and  upon  the  occasion  of  his  marriage 
translated  "  Vogel"  into  "  Uccello."  "  The  reverse  was  my  own 
case,"  the  Professor  remarked.  "  To  be  sure,  I  had  no  'stein' 
to  throw  aside,  and  I  am  not  married,  but  my  name  I  trans- 
lated into  German  from  Italian,  much  to  my  mother's  disgust, 
although  she,  as  well  as  myself,  was  born  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Alps." 

Amberger  made  numerous  inquiries  with  regard  to  the  old 
palazzo,  which  greatly  interested  him.  Its  present  possessor 
could  tell  him  nothing  concerning  it,  except  that  the  family  to 
whom  it  had  formerly  belonged  had  either  become  extinct  at 
the  close  of  the  previous  century,  or  had  been  exiled  after  the 
confiscation  of  their  estate  in  revolutionary  times.  "  We  con- 
stantly find,"  he  continued,  "  in  Italy,  no  less  than  in  Ger- 
many, trade  usurping  the  former  habitations  of  the  nobility, 
now  falling  to  decay.  I  myself  was  born  in  one  of  those  old 
dens,  half  castle,  half  fortress,  that  had  been  deserted  by  its 
former  masters.  It  was  just  sufficiently  preserved  to  afford 
a  shelter  to  iny  father,  a  simple  gardener.  Thereby  hangs  a 
long  story." 

No  curiosity  was  expressed  with  regard  to  the  host's  "  long 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  15 

story."  Amberger  remarked  that,  in  his  opinion,  trade  should 
show  more  reverence  for  antiquity  and  art,  and  mentioned 
with  admiration  the  wainscoting  in  his  bedroom.  The  host 
replied  that  few  travellers  could  find  pleasure  in  such  dark, 
gloomy  walls,  and  that  one  must  cater  for  the  popular  taste. 
"  But  if  you  would  like  to  see  more  of  this  queer  old  carving, 
gentlemen,"  he  continued,  "I  should  be  proud  to  show  you 
my  own  private  apartments.  Nothing  has  yet  been  restored 
there;  my  wife  says  we  must  think  last  of  ourselves,  and 
my  daughter  imagines  that  she  really  likes  the  old  rubbish, 
and  has  even  had  her  room  furnished  with  old  rickety  fur- 
niture that  we  found  in  the  attics.  Perhaps  you  may  like  to 
see  it." 

Amberger  accepted  his  invitation  with  thanks.    The  daugh- 
ter pleased  him  even  before  he  had  seen  her. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  moon  was  high  in  the  deep-blue  heaven  when  the  two 
men  began  their  after-dinner  ramble.  The  Professor  conducted 
the  young  man,  towards  whom  he  felt  a  most  friendly  inclina- 
tion, along  the  beautiful  Via  Calzaioli,  where  every  outline 
stood  out  clear  and  soft  in  the  lovely  moonlight,  to  the  Bap- 
tistery, then  through  narrow  streets  to  the  Piazza  della  Si- 
gnoria,  where  Amberger  stood  amazed  at  the  moon-illumined 
mass  of  the  Palazzo  Vecchio,  and  then  beneath  the  gleaming 
arcades  of  the  Uffizi  to  the  silvery  waters  of  the  Arno.  They 
sauntered  on  for  awhile,  watching  the  gliding  river,  and  then 
took  shelter  beneath  the  awning  before  a  confectioner's  shop, 
to  enjoy  an  ice.  Here  Amberger  again  showed  himself  ready 
for  conversation. 


16  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

11  When  you  entered  the  compartment  of  the  railway 
carriage,"  he  said,  "  I  took  you  for  a  child  of  this  lovely  land, 
and  your  remark  at  dinner  awhile  ago  convinced  me  that  I  was 
not  entirely  mistaken.  You  said,  did  you  not,  that  you  had 
translated  your  name?" 

"  My  mother's  name — yes,"  replied  the  Professor,  taking 
out  his  cigar-case. 

Amberger  laid  his  hand  upon  it.  "  Try  these,"  he  said, 
offering  him  several  cigars  of  his  own.  "  I  have  contrived  to 
smuggle  a  few  in  my  trunks." 

The  Professor  accepted  them  as  frankly  as  they  were  offered. 
"Never  despise  the  gifts  the  gods  provide  you,"  he  said. 
"  These  are  indeed  a  rare  enjoyment  here." 

"  Your  mother's  name — did  you  say  ?" 

"  I  did.  That  most  excellent  lady,  whom  I  revere  as  well  as 
love,  has  seen  fit  persistently  to  withhold  from  me.  the  name 
of  my  father,  although  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  she 
has  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  it.  In  my  own  estimation  a 
mere  name  is  of  small  consequence,  and  I  attach  as  much 
value  to  my  mother's  as  to  my  father's.  Beyond  even  the  pos- 
sibility of  doubt  I  know  my  mother  to  have  been  married, 
and  then  divorced  from  her  husband.  Did  I  say  she  withheld 
his  name  from  me  ?  That  was  scarcely  a  fair  statement  of  the 
fact.  She  never  alludes  to  any  circumstance  of  her  married, 
life,  all  memory  of  which  is  evidently  most  painful  to  her,  and 
I  never  question  her  regarding  it.  As  far  back  as  I  can. recol- 
lect, she  was  an  opera-singer, — oh,  I  assure  you,  quite  a  celeb- 
rity in  her  time, — and  now  for  some  years  she  has  been  living 
upon  the  income  resulting  from  the  property  purchased  with 
the  smaller  part  of  her  savings,  and  from  the  investment  which 
she  made  in  me  of  the  larger  portion,  in  giving  me  the  best 
education  that  Europe  could  afford.  Indeed,  I  owe  to  her 
everything  that  I  am,  and  why  should  she  not  claim  the  right 
to  bestow  upon  me  her  name  also, — a  name  which  has  been 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  17 

held  in  high  honour  in  the  musical  world?  She  is  called 
1  Camilla  Bellarota.'  "  * 

"  Ah,  and  that  you  translate  by " 

"  The  German  '  Schonrade,'  which  you  read  upon  my  card. 
My  schoolmates  translated  my  name  for  me  when  I  was  a  boy 
at  school,  and  the  translation  was  preferable  to  the  distor- 
tions of  the  Italian  name  that  boyish  fun  or  malice  suggested. 
When  I  published  my  first  book  in  Germany,  in  the  German 
tongue,  the  change  of  name  seemed  to  me  but  natural,  and 
then  it  became  a  fixed  fact.  And  if  my  name  is  known  to 
science,  I  now  surely  have  a  right  to  say  that  I  made  it 
myself." 

"  The  best  right  in  the  world  !" 

"  It  was  diflicult  for  my  mother  to  accustom  herself  to  it. 
She  is  by  no  means  free  from  family  pride,  and  boasts  that  the 
Bellarotas  were  of  noble  blood.  Small  as  her  knowledge  of  them 
is,  she  likes  to  speak  of  it.  She  was  only  ten  years  old  when 
her  father,  who  had  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Germany,  died. 
He  was  attached  as  a  singer  and  actor  to  the  court  of  a  Ger- 
man prince,  but  always  maintained  that  he  was  of  noble  birth,, 
and  married  the  descendant  of  one  of  our  old  decayed  noble 
families.  His  wife  died  at  the  birth  of  their  first  child,  and 
shortly  afterwards  he  himself,  already  advanced  in  years,  lost 
his  voice,  and  with  it  of  course  his  position.  He  then  appears 
to  have  dragged  out  ten  years  more  of  life,  travelling  from  place 
to  place  with  his  little  daughter,  needy  and  forlorn,  until  his 
death  occurred  in  the  hospital  of  a  town  in  Northern  Germany 
where  he  had  in  his  youth  reaped  golden  harvests  as  a  favourite 
tenor.  Carlo  Bellarota  left  no  papers  behind  him  to  throw 
any  light  upon  his  birth  or  history ;  all  that  was  known  of  him 


*  "Bellarota"  is  the  German  "Schonrade,"  and  the  English  "Fair- 
wheel,"  as  the  German  "Schonberg"  is  the  French  "Belmont,"  and  the 
English  "  Fairhill"  or  "  Fairmount." 

2* 


18  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

was  that  he  had  borne  that  name  ever  since  his  stay  in  Ger- 
many, which  dated  from  the  beginning  of  the  present  century. 
My  mother  has  often  declared,  without  indeed  explaining  her 
words,  that  the  want  of  her  father's  baptismal  certificate  had 
been  the  great  misfortune  of  her  life.  According  to  a  few 
sentences  written  on  the  fly-leaf  of  an  old  missal,  the  owner 
of  the  book  was  a  certain  Pietro  Bellarota,  whose  only  son 
Carlo  was.  Carlo  himself  has  added  a  few  sentences,  stating 
that  his  father  died  in  prison,  whither  he  was  sent  for  political 
offences,  having  endeavoured  to  restore  to  his  country  the  re- 
publican form  of  government  under  which  it  had  once  been 
so  great  and  prosperous.  In  the  attempt  he  had  lost  not 
only  his  liberty,  but  the  remains  of  what  had  once  been  great 
wealth,  and  his  son  was  forced  to  live  an  exile  among  strangers, 
his  only  inheritance,  apparently,  this  missal,  which  had  been 
the  companion  of  his  father's  captivity.  He  never  mentions 
the  name  of  the  town  where  the  family  had  once  been  rich 
and  great,  but  states  that  a  branch  of  the  name  in  Rome,  and 
another  in  Naples,  had  been  advanced  by  papal  protection 
and  royal  patronage,  and  that  his  father's  fate  would  have  been 
a  happier  one  had  it  not  been  for  his  faith  in  the  possibility  of 
an  Italian  republic,  to  which  he  was  always  true  and  loyal." 

"  And  have  you  never  made  any  further  search  into  your 
family  history  during  your  frequent  sojourns  in  Italy  ?"  asked 
Amberger,  with  great  interest. 

"  Only  very  superficially,"  the  Professor  replied.  "  I  must 
confess  I  take  very  little  interest  in  such  matters,  and  that  I 
think  my  time  can  be  far  more  profitably  employed  than  in 
prying  into  a  pedigree  to  which  I  am  quite  indifferent.  My 
grandmother  and  my  father  were  Germans,  and,  independently 
of  that,  I  myself  belong,  both  in  mind  and  education,  to  your 
nation.  Why,  then,  should  I  seek  to  gratify  an  idle  curiosity  ? 
For  my  good  mother's  sake  I  instituted  a  few  inquiries  in 
Rome  and  Naples,  and  found  our  name  here  and  there  in  old 


THE    GREEN  GATE.  19 

official  registers ;  but  it  would  have  cost  an  immense  amount 
of  time  to  pursue  these  investigations  to  any  result.  And  what 
would  it  have  availed  me  even  if  I  had  come  across  this  very 
Pietro  Bellarota?  His  son  Carlo's  baptismal  certificate  is  lost; 
it  was  once,  I  understand,  searched  for  fruitlessly.  I  am  quite 
willing  to  leave  the  illumination  of  the  darkness  here  to 
chance ;  and  if  it  should  never  be  illumined,  I  shall  most  cer- 
tainly die  as  calmly  as  the  bourgeois  Professor  Schonrade  as 
though  I  were  sure  of  a  resting-place  for  my  bones  in  the 
Bellarota  family  vault.  However,  I  am  none  the  less  fond  of 
Italy,  and,  in  proof  of  my  affection,  frequently  pursue  my 
scientific  researches  within  its  borders.  That  is  all  I  can  do 
for  the  land  of  my  grandfather." 

He  beckoned  to  a  waiter,  and  paid  the  reckoning.  It  was 
late  when  they  slowly  walked  back  to  the  hotel,  where,  before 
entering,  Amberger  inspected  from  all  sides  the  stone  figures 
that  graced  the  doorway.  Silently  and  thoughtfully  he  then 
followed  the  Professor,  who  ran  up-stairs  two  steps  at  a  time, 
whistling  an  opera-air.  In  his  own  apartment,  before  going 
to  bed,  Amberger  spent  some  time  in  examining  the  carved 
wainscot,  copying  a  few  of  the  most  remarkable  arabesques 
into  his  sketch-book.  In  the  next  room  the  Professor  made 
a  great  rattling  with  his  bits  of  stone,  but  was  soon  quietly 
asleep. 

The  next  morning  they  did  not  meet  at  breakfast.  The 
Professor,  as  he  passed  Amberger's  door  on  his  way  to  the 
dining-hall,  knocked  gently  ;  but,  finding  that  the  young  mlan 
still  slept,  he  drank  his  coffee  alone  and  went  out,  leaving 
word  with  the  porter  that  he  had  a  couple  of  business  visits  to 
pay,  and  would  return  in  an  hour  or  two.  Philip  Amberger 
had  an  abundance  of  time,  therefore,  to  wander  about  and' 
examine  the  different  stories  and  galleries  of  the  old  palazzo, 
to  admire  the  faded  frescoes,  and  to  linger  in  the  court-yard, 
allowing  the  water  of  the  little  fountain  to  trickle  over  his 


20  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

hands,  already  tanned  by  the  Italian  sun.  Here  he  was  soon 
joined  by  Signer  Uccello,  who,  af.er  inquiring  how-  he  had 
slept,  had  a  couple  of  chairs  placed  in  the  cool  ^hade,  and 
began  a  lively  description  of  all  that  was  worth  seeing  in 
Florence.  The  most  superficial  observer  could  hardly  think 
of  leaving  it  for  three  or  four  weeks  at  the  least.  He  really  did 
not  speak  as  a  host  from  interested  motives.  He  had  not  yet 
seen  Florence  thoroughly  himself,  but  then,  to  be  sure,  he  was 
greatly  confined  by  his  business.  His  daughter  Lucia,  how- 
ever,— than  whom  there  could  be  no  better  cicerone  for  all  that 
was  interesting  in  Florence, — assured  him  that  she  had  never 
exhausted  the  interest  of  the  place.  Travellers  were  too  much 
in  the  habit  of  merely  passing  through  Florence  on  their  way 
to  Rome.  Amberger  made  inquiries  as  to  the  dealers  in  an- 
tique objects  of  interest,  remarking  that  he  was  a  collector 
The  host  mentioned  two  or  three  names,  but  promised  to  ask 
his  daughter  for  further  particulars, — she  was  much  interested 
in  such  matters.  Amberger  hereupon  reminded  him  of  his 
yesterday's  promise  to  show  him  his  own  dwelling-rooms,  and 
was  immediately  conducted  thither,  Signor  Uccello,  as  he  led 
the  way,  remarking  that  it  would  be  better  that  his  guest 
should  hear  what  Lucia  had  to  say  about  Florentine  antiquities. 
Signora  Uccello,  a  rather  stout  dame,  in  a  morning-wrapper, 
was  profuse  in  excuses  for  her  husband,  "  who  imagined  that 
there  could  be  anything  in  such  gloomy,  shabby  old  rooms  to 
interest  a  traveller  of  distinction."  She  bewailed  the  want 
of  air  and  light  in  her  apartments,  declaring  that  she  should 
die  if  her  husband  did  not  rebuild  them  thoroughly  ;  indeed, 
she  would  rather  be  buried  in  San  Miniato  than  live  in  such 
a  dreary  prison.  Her  husband  shrugged  his  shoulders  and 
smiled  diplomatically.  Evidently  she  had  rung  the  changes 
upon  this  theme  until  he  knew  them  all  by  heart.  When  she 
was  called  away,  he  observed,  "  Women  would  be  miserable 
without  something  to  complain  of.  She  hardly  looks,  I  think, 


+THE   GREEN  GATE.  21 

as  if  she  had  been  deprived  of  light  and  air."  Then  he 
knocked  at  a  door  almost  black  with  age, — the  carving  of 
which  had  already  attracted  Amberger's  attention, — and  called 
out,  "  Lucia,  Lucia,  may  we  come  in  ?" 

The  door  opened  heavily,  but  without  noise,  and  the  slender 
figure  of  a  girl  appeared  upon  the  threshold.  The  room 
behind  her  was  lighted  from  the  side  opposite  the  door,  and 
was  already  streaked  with  the  morning  sunlight,  making  a 
golden  background  for  the  figure,  which,  enclosed  in  the  heavy 
door-frame,  stood  out  against  it  like  some  old  picture.  The 
sunlight  played  over  the  dark  carving  of  the  wainscot  and 
the  carved  backs  of  some  curious  old  leather-covered  chairs. 
The  floor  of  light-blue  and  yellowish  marble  seemed  trans- 
lucent, and  the  high  Venetian  glasses  on  the  chimney-piece 
against  the  mirror  in  its  faded  frame  were  like  air-blown 
bubbles.  Lucia  wore  a  dark-blue  dress,  with  a  short-sleeved, 
low-necked  bodice  over  a  white  under-dress,  gathered  to  the 
throat,  with  full  pufied  sleeves.  At  her  girdle,  which  was 
fastened  by  a  silver  buckle,  hung  a  small  bag  of  antique 
fashion  and  workmanship,  and  the  ruffle  at  her  neck  was  con- 
fined by  a  coral  necklace  as  by  a  red  ribbon.  She  had  her 
mother's  black  hair  and  her  father's  blue  eyes.  Philip  Am- 
berger  thought  he  had  never  seen  so  lovely  a  picture,  and  was 
not  sorry  that  his  guide's  lengthy  explanation  as  to  the  pur- 
pose of  their  visit  gave  him  time  to  admire  its  grace  and 
beauty. 

Lucia  turned  her  large,  quiet  eyes  upon  the  stranger,  as  her 
father  spoke,  and  then,  with  a  gentle  smile,  stood  aside  and 
allowed  him  to  enter.  She  had  been  working  before  an  easel 
in  the  deep  recess  of  a  window,  painting  a  copy  of  an  old  pic- 
ture of  a  Madonna.  The  room  was  furnished  entirely  in  the 
style  of  the  sixteenth  century, — furniture,  carpets,  pictures,  and 
tapestry  all  genuinely  old.  Lucia  took  a  lute  from  a  lounge 
that  filled  one  corner,  and  prayed  the  signori  to  be  seated.  Sho 


22  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

herself  took  possession  of  an  arm-chair  that  she  drew  forth 
from  behind  the  easel.  Signer  Uccello  excused  himself  on  the 
plea  of  business,  and  the  young  people  were  left  alone. 

Philip  Amberger  seemed  to  himself  to  be  living  in  dream- 
land. His  knowledge  of  Italian  was  but  small,  and  now  he 
could  not  remember  a  word  of  it.  Lucia  assured  him  that 
she  perfectly  understood  German,  although  she  could  hardly 
venture  to  speak  that  tongue,  and  her  replies  could  be  made 
in  her  own  language.  He  availed  himself  of  her  permission 
to  speak  German,  and  the  conversation  soon  flowed  easily 
enough.  Lucia  displayed  her  little  store  of  antique  treasures 
with  much  pride,  and  was  pleased  to  find  in  him  the  enthu- 
siasm of  a  genuine  connoisseur,  especially  when  he  admired  the 
carved  wainscot  of  her  room,  worm-eaten  although  it  certainly 
was  here  and  there.  "  This  room  shall  not  be  touched,"  she 
cried,  "  however  the  rest  of  the  dear  old  house  may  be  spoiled 
to  suit  modern  taste,  or  rather  want  of  taste."  He  applauded 
her  resolution,  and  noted  particularly  a  figure  that  was  con- 
tinually repeated  in  the  wood-work  of  all  the  rooms, — that  of 
a  graceful,  elaborate  circlet.  "Yes,"  she  rejoined,  "you  will 
find  this  symbol,  whatever  it  may  mean,  everywhere  through 
the  house,  with  such  variation  as  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of 
the  carver  have  been  able  to  effect.  And  you  will  observe  that 
the  two  marble  figures  at  the  entrance  also  bear  this  same 
ornamented  ring  in  their  hands.  And  on  the  ceiling  of  the 
dining-hall  the  same  figure — which  must  have  been  a  favourite 
with  the  former  possessor  of  the  mansion — occurs  continually." 

"  Perhaps,"  Philip  suggested,  "  it  may  have  formed  part  of 
the  escutcheon  of  the  former  lords  of  the  mansion ;  I  have 
seen  similar  heraldic  devices  in  old  German  houses." 

She  led  the  conversation  to  Germany.  "  I  should  like  to 
cross  the  Alps,"  she  said,  "  and  see  my  father's  old  home. 
But  it  must  be  in  the  depth  of  winter.  We  have  cold  weather, 
and  even  snow  now  and  then  here  in  December  and  January  ; 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  23 

but  I  want  to  see  such  a  winter  as  my  father  describes, — where 
the  rivers  are  frozen  over,  icicles  hang  from  the  trees,  and  the 
frost  makes  flowers  upon  the  window-panes." 

"  The  unknown  always  attracts  us,"  he  replied,  smiling. 
"  We  Germans  come  here  to  look  for  skies  that  are  always 
blue,  and  warm  sunshine,  and  you  want  to  shiver  in  the  blasts 
of  our  Northern  winter.  Shall  you  not  be  able  to  carry  out 
your  wishes  ?" 

"  Hardly,  signer,  hardly." 

"  You  should  come  to  us.  My  mother,  who  worthily  main- 
tains her  position  as  a  merchant's  wife  of  the  old  German 
school,  would  welcome  any  one  who  could  genuinely  enjoy  our 
German  winter ;  and  my  study  is  quite  such  another  room  as 
this,  only  not  so  charming.  I  invite  you  now." 

She  laughed  merrily.  "  A  charming  plan  !  I  wonder  what 
my  father  would  say.  That  my  German  blood  makes  me 
restless,  I  think.  But  a  girl,  you  see,  signor " 

A  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  her,  and  Professor  Schon- 
rade  appeared,  to  carry  away  his  companion.  He  paid  very 
little  attention  to  the  curious  furniture  and  objects  of  antique 
art  still  scattered  upon  the  chairs  and  tables,  and  seemed  to 
regard  Lucia  as  only  one  of  a  class, — a  young  girl  with  whom 
a  few  words  might  very  pleasantly  be  exchanged  now  and 
then.  This  vexed  Philip,  who  had  no  mind  to  be  carried  off 
thus  peremptorily.  But  the  Professor  never  noticed  his  re- 
luctance to  leave,  and  all  that  the  young  man  could  do  was  to 
ask  and  obtain  permission  to  repeat  his  visit  shortly. 

"  A  pretty  face,"  the  Professor  remarked,  as  they  reached 
the  street. 

Amberger  made  no  reply.     Pretty,  indeed  ! 

They  visited  the  Cathedral.  The  Professor  paid  but  scant 
attention  to  what  Philip  thought  points  of  great  interest,  and, 
when  they  had  made  the  rounds,  merely  remarked,  "  'Tis  a  pity 
that  we  must  continue  our  walk,  it  is  so  delightfully  cool  here." 


24  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

An  unsympathetic  silence  was  Philip's  only  reply  ;  he  could 
have  stood  for  hours  in  the  blazing  sun  with  pleasure  before 
some  of  these  treasures  of  art. 

Schbnrade  hailed  a  fiacre.  "  To  San  Marco  !  That  is  the 
pi  ace  for  you,"  he  cried,  as  they  entered  the  vehicle.  "  Haunted 
by  memories  of  Savonarola.  Pictures  so  old  that  you  can't 
distinguish  their  subjects  at  all.  Convent  cells — oh,  every- 
thing fascinating  !  I  shall  gloat  over  your  enthusiasm,  if  you 
will  only  enjoy  less  egotistically  than  in  the  Cathedval." 

"  I  am  apt  to  be  very  quiet  in  the  presence  of  great  beauty 
and  antiquity,"  Amberger  remarked. 

"  Not  a  good  habit,  my  dear  fellow-countryman  on  the 
paternal  side,"  laughed  the  Professor ;  "  our  enthusiasm  ought 
not  to  live  in  a  snail-shell,  and  should  even  be  able  to  endure 
a  poor  joke  now  and  then." 

They  grew  more  and  more  at  ease  with  each  other.  Am- 
berger became  less  reserved,  and  Schbnrade  more  sympathetic. 
Their  breakfast  in  a  birraria  was  greatly  relished.  The  Pro- 
fessor proposed  a  visit  to  a  mosaic-factory,  and  here  each  could 
thoroughly  enjoy — Amberger  the  artistic  workmanship,  and 
Schbnrade  the  rare  kinds  of  stone.  Thus  the  time  passed 
quickly  enough  before  they  returned  to  dine  at  the  hotel. 

The  first  thing  that  Amberger  did  after  they  were  seated  at 
table  was  to  look  up  at  the  ceiling.  Perhaps  he  imagined  that 
from  the  medallion  in  the  centre  a  girlish  face  like  Lucia's 
might  look  down  upon  him.  At  any  rate,  she  was  quite  right 
about  the  figure  to  be  found  there, — the  circlet  ornamented 
with  a  graceful  tracery  of  leaves  was  here  in  the  frame  en- 
closing the  frescoed  centre  of  the  ceiling.  And,  upon  a  closer 
examination,  the  ring  was  surely  a 

"  What  in  the  name  of  Heaven  are  you  doing,  my  dear 
fellow  ?"  cried  the  Professor ;  "  you  will  give  yourself  a  stiff 
neck.  Is  the  old  ceiling  really  worth  letting  your  soup  get 
cold  for?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  25 

Ambcrger  gazed  absently  at  him.  "  An  idea  has  suddenly 
occurred  to  me,  Herr  Professor,"  he  said,  mysteriously. 

"  Ideas  are  sure  to  occur  suddenly,"  the  other  said,  drily. 
"  Well,  may  I  share  it  ?" 

"  Good  heavens,  'tis  a  very  important  one  for  you  !" 

"  Indeed  ?     I  am  quite  curious." 

"  The  Bellarota  family,  of  whom  you  told  me  yester- 
day- 

"  Ah,  pray  don't  disturb  your  dinner  on  their  account." 

"  No,  no,  I  am  really  in  earnest.  They  belonged  to  Flor- 
ence." 

"  Perhaps  they  did." 

"  They  did  !  they  did !  and  we  are  now  in  the  Palazzo  Bella- 
rota." 

The  Professor  pushed  back  his  chair  and  gazed  at  the  young 
man,  as  if  slightly  doubtful  of  his  sanity. 

But  Amberger  was  no  whit  abashed  by  the  gaze.  "  Look 
up,"  he  continued.  "  What  do  you  see  there  ?  A  circlet 
enwreathed  with  flowers;  in  fact,  nothing  more  or  less  than 
an  ornamented  wheel.  Look  attentively,  and  you  will  see  the 
hub  in  the  centre,  and  the  spokes  radiating  from  it.  It  is  a 
wheel, — a  beautiful  wheel, — bella  rota.  It  is  repeated  every- 
where through  the  house,  over  windows  and  doors  and  upon 
the  floors ;  the  two  stone  figures  at  the  entrance  bear  it  winged 
in  their  hands.  There  is  no  doubt  of  it  at  all." 

The  Professor  laughed  aloud.  "  Take  your  ease,  I  pray  you, 
in  the  palace  of  my  forefathers,"  he  said,  with  a  gracious  wave 
of  his  hand,  "  and  regard  honest  Signor  Uccello  simply  as  my 
major-domo,  at  your  service.  Although,  for  the  present,  cir- 
cumstances over  which  I  have  no  control  compel  me  to  en- 
dure the  sight  within  my  ancestral  halls  of  this  motley  assem- 
blage,— chiefly  vagabonds  from  the  North,  who  conceive  that 
the  payment  of  a  certain  amount  of  filthy  lucre  gives  them  a 
right  to  strut  and  swagger  here, — yet  I  confidently  hope  that 

B  3 

. 


26  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

in  a  short  time  my  geological  investigations  will  place  me  in 
possession  of  a  deposit  of  gold  sufficient  to  redeem  my  family 
estate.  You,  however,  my  dear  fellow,  to  whom  I  owe  the 
discovery  that  will  reinstate  the  lawful  owner  in  his  rights, 
must  consent  to  be  my  guest  for  this  day  at  least.  Signor 
Uccello,  a  bottle  of  your  best,  if  you  please." 

Amberger  was  half  vexed,  and  yet  could  not  help  smiling. 
'••  But  look,  am  I  not  right  ?"  he  persisted ;  "  and  is  it  not 
worth  the  trouble  to  follow  out  this  evident  clue  ?  If  I  were 
in  your  place,  I  would  never  rest — 

y  Until  your  thirst  for  knowledge  were  appeased,  anti- 
quary that  you  are !  Is  it  of  any  possible  consequence  to  the 
development  of  the  human  race  that  we  should  know  whether 
a  certain  Dr.  Schbnrade  from  Berlin  be  the  lineal  descendant 
of  the  noble  Bellarotas  of  Florence,  or  whether  his  grand- 
father found  it  best  to  invent  a  pretty  name  for  the  opera- 
bills,  that  the  world — '  mundus  vult  decipi]  you  know — • 
might  believe  in  his  genuine  Italian  tenor?  Solve  me  this 
problem  !" 

"  But  you  cannot  be  indifferent " 

"I  am,  utterly.  If,  to  be  sure,  an  advertisement  were  to 
appear  in  the  public  journals  announcing  that  a  large  treasure 
had  been  discovered  indubitably  the  property  of  a  genuine 

scion  of  the  Bellarotas,  I  might But  I  am  thoroughly 

convinced  that  the  noble  race  was  impoverished  before  the 
doors  of  the  family  vault  closed  upon  it,  and  it  is  far  more  to 
my  liking  to  regard  myself  as  a  homo  novus,  who  is  to  found 
a  new  dynasty, — a  wife,  'tis  true,  is  wanting  as  yet.  And,  by 
the  way,  an  exalted  idea  occurs  to  me.  What  if  I  regained 
the  palace  of  my  fathers  by — marriage?  That  charming  little 
Uccello  with  whom  I  found  you  to-day — 

But  here  Philip  Amberger  was  seized  with  a  sudden  fit 
of  coughing,  and  was  obliged  to  leave  the  table. 

Before  retiring  for  the  night,  the  Professor  paid  him  a  visit 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  27 

in  his  room,  and  found  him  writing.  "  Dutiful  man  that  you 
are,"  ho -cried,  "  is  there  a  future  bride  at  home,  who  must  be 
thus  remembered  daily  ?" 

"  Not  at  all,"  the  young  man  -explained.  "  I  am  writing 
to  my  sister." 

"  You  have  a  sister,  then  ?  Tell  her  that  you  have  en- 
omntered  an  insufferable  man  here,  but  that,  fortunately,  lie 
iji  obliged  to  set  off  to-morrow  for  the  mountains." 

"  What !  are  you  going  so  soon  ?" 

"  You  recognize  the  portrait,  then  ?  So  much  the  better, — 
write  it  down." 

"  But,  my  dear  Herr  Professor,  if  you  would  only  read  this 
letter " 

Schonrade  held  out  his  hand  and  looked  kindly  into  the 
frank  eyes  that  met  his  own.  "  I  don't  know  why  it  is,"  he 
said,  "  but  I  feel  sure  we  are  not  saying  good-bye  forever.  I 
believe  in  animal  magnetism,  and  in  the  sympathetic  attraction 
caused  by  it.  For  the  present,  farewell !" 

Amberger  shook  him  cordially  by  the  hand.  lie  had  per- 
haps been  somewhat  vexed  by  him,  and  had  cherished  a  secret 
wish  that  he  might  not  see  all  of  Florence  in  his  society ;  but 
that  was  forgotten  now,  and  something  really  like  sadness  took 
possession  of  him  as  the  door  closed  and  he  was  left  alone. 

He  wrote  to  his  sister  that  he  should  probably  remain  "  a 
long  time  in  Florence,  to  become  entirely  familiar  with  the 
treasures  of  art  that  it  contained."  He  did  not  add  that  in 
the  process  he  relied  upon  Lucia's  support  and  assistance.  In 
fact,  there  was  no  allusion  to  her  in  the  entire  letter. 


28  THE   GREEN  GATE. 


CHAPTER    III. 

CouNCiLLOR-OF-CoMMERCE  Wicsel,  a  portly,  middle-aged 
gentleman,  with  a  round,  smoothly-shaven  face,  straight,  fair 
hair,  and  a  snowy-white  cravat,  was  seated  in  the  Moorish  pa- 
villion  belonging  to  his  mansion  in  the  Thiergarten  Strasse,  de- 
liberately eating  an  ice  from  a  pretty  little,  pink-glass  saucer. 

Opposite  him,  by  a  Japanese  table,  in  a  rocking-chair,  his 
head  thrown  back,  his  eyes  fixed  upon  a  Chinese  lantern 
hanging  from  the  ceiling,  and  a  cigar  between  his  thin  lips,  sat 
a  somewhat  younger  man,  with  a  sallow  face,  in  which  no 
amount  of  repose  or  absence  of  expression  could  obliterate  the 
deep  wrinkles  around  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  Ilerr  Otto 
Feinberg  was  certainly  taking  great  pains  to  appear  intensely 
comfortable,  as  if,  in  his  easy  rocking-chair  and  suiokmg  the 
best  cigars,  nothing  in  the  world  had  much  power  to  interest 
him,  least  of  all,  perhaps,  the  subject  of  which  he 'was  speaking. 
In  fact,  he  hardly  spoke  at  all :  merely  throwing,  as  it  were,  a4fe 
word  or  two  now  and  then  up  to  the  ceiling,  and  then  pausing 
to  note  if  haply  it  might  fall  near  the  Councillor  and  be  caught 
by  him  in  its  descent.  Thus  the  discourse  was  pursued, — its 
subject  was  a  new  railway  enterprise. 

Behind  them,  nearer  the  bow-window  that  looked  out  upon 
a  beautiful  group  of  palms  and  other  tropical  plants,  the  Coun- 
cillor's wife,  very  much  dressed,  reclined  upon  a  Turkish  divan. 
She  had  an  open  book  in  her  hand, — from  a  circulating  library, 
as  its  cover  proclaimed ;  but  more  than  half  of  her  attention 
was  given  to  a  cockatoo  with  a  yellow  crest,  who  upon  his 
stand,  at  a  little  distance,  was  playing  all  kinds  of  antics.  She 
numbered,  perhaps,  rather  nearer  forty  than  thirty  years,  and 
iu  her  youth  must  have  been  pretty.  But  now  all  freshness 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  29 

of  colour  had  faded  from  her  face,  and  her  eyes  had  a  weary 
look  in  them,  betokening  either  physical  suffering  or  perpetual 
ennui. 

Upon  the  trim  gravelled  walk,  outside  in  the  garden,  two 
young  girls  were  sauntering  arm-in-arm.  One  might  have 
been  a  couple  of  years  younger  than  the  other,  and  both  were 
pretty,  very  pretty,  although  they  were  very  unlike.  The 
younger,  tall  and  slender,  with  a  delicate  oval  face,  resembled 
the  Councillor's  wife ;  the  other  was  shorter,  more  vivacious, 
with  teeth  like  pearls,  dimples  in  cheeks  and  chin,  and  masses 
of  fair  hair.  A  tall  young  man,  dressed  after  the  latest  fashion, 
with  an  unimpeachable  cravat  and  lemon-coloured  gloves,  was 
walking  with  them,  trying  at  every  turn  of  the  path  to  keep 
his  place  by  the  side  of  the  younger  girl. 

The  elder  talked  the  most.  "  Do  you  often  go  to  the 
theatre,  Mr.  Fairfax?"  she  asked. 

"  Not  very  often,"  he  replied,  with  an  English  accent.  "  I 
do  not  like  the  German  drama." 

"  What  is  your  objection  to  it?" 

.  "  Oh,  it  is  stupid.  Every  one  is  so  possessed  with  the  idea 
of  being  natural  that  it  grows  tiresome." 

"  I  thought  the  greatest  praise  that  could  be  bestowed  upon 
an  actor  was  to  call  him  natural.  Did  not  you,  Lilli?" 

The  younger  girl,  whom  she  addressed,  did  not  seem  to 

have  been  attending  to  the  conversation.     "  Oh — I "  she 

stammered,  looking  appealingly  at  Mr.  Fairfax,  as  if  to  sum- 
mon him  to  her  aid. 

"  You  Germans,"  he  said,  "  are  so  ready  to  be  pleased,  to 
make  up  for  any  deficiencies,  to  see  more  than  is  really  visible. 
I,  for  my  part,  when  I  go  to  the  theatre,  must  have  my  atten- 
tion riveted  by  the  force  and  power  of  the  acting." 

They  were  approaching  the  pavilion.  The  lady  at  the 
window  arose  and  beckoned  to  Mr.  Fairfax.  The  young 
girls  co  jtinued  their  promenade. 

3* 


30  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

"Tell  me  something  to  amuse  me,"  the  Councillor's  wife 
said  to  the  young  man  as  he  entered,  and  she  motioned  him 
to  a  seat  beside  her.  "  My  book  has  tired  me  so." 

"A  German  novel,  is  it  not?  German  novels  are  always 
very  tiresome." 

"  We  ought  to  have  gone  to  some  watering-place  long  ago, 
but  my  husband  really  cannot  leave  his  business.  Would  you 
go  with  us  to  Wiesbaden,  Mr.  Fairfax?" 

"  I  am  entirely  at  your  service,  my  dear  madame.  You  kno  .v 
that  I  have  nothing  more  nearly  at  heart  than  to  become  inti- 
mately known  to  you  all." 

"  Do  you  not  find  our  dear  Lilli  still  very  much  of  a  child  ?" 

"  I  could  not  desire  to  see  her  otherwise.  Were  her  char- 
acter entirely  formed,  I  could  scarcely  hope  to  produce  the 
lasting  impression  which  I  now  trust  to  be  able  to  make  upon 
her  pure,  child-like  nature." 

The  lady  extended  her  hand  to  him.  "  You  are  not  dis- 
appointed, then?" 

He  imprinted  a  kiss  upon  it.  "  Should  I  be  here  now  if  I 
were  ?  Let  me  confess  that  I  have  passively  submitted  to  the 
arrangement  made  long  since  by  our  respective  fathers,  only 
because  I  was  fully  resolved  that,  when  we  met,  all  right  of 
decision  should  be  accorded  to  our  hearts  alone." 

"  I  was  sure  of  it,  and  we  too " 

"  I  never  could  have  denied  the  heart  its  rights ;  although 
at  the  same  time  I  admit  that,  as  a  practical  man,  the  union 
of  our  two  houses  was  anything  but  a  matter  of  indifference 
to  me.  Nothing  would  so  insure  the  stability  and  success  of 
our  great  business  undertakings  ;  s  an  alliance  of  this  close 
nature  between  the  English  and  German  firms." 

"  I  never  understand  anything  of  the  kind,"  said  the  lady, 
casting  down  here  yes;  "but  my  husband  agrees  with  you, 
and  he  loves  Lilli  most  fondly.  What  do  you  think  of  my 
daughter's  friend, — Katrine  Amberger?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  31 

"  Oh,  a  very  pretty,  lively  girl." 

"Do  you  know  I  was  half  undecided  whether  to  invite  her 
here  just  at  this  time?  I  was  afraid  she  would  quite  throw 
my  Lilli  into  the  shade." 

"Surely,  dear  madame,  you  cannot  be  serious?  Fraulein 
Lilli  can  only  be  a  gainer  by  the  contrast."  v 

"Do  you  think  so?" 

The  conversation  halted  here.  In  a  few  moments  the  Eng- 
lishman began  again,  without  any  apparent  connection  with  the 
previous  topic : 

"  Moritz  Amberger  seems  to  me  rather  a  rash  speculator. 
I  scarcely  know  the  resources  of  his  house,  however.  Friiu- 
lein  Katharina's  property,  I  suppose,  is  secured  to  her?" 

"  I  really  do  not  know ;  probably  it  is,"  the  lady  answered, 
carelessly.  "  Herr  Otto  Fcinberg  there — a  prudent  man,  I 
am  told — is  a  suitor  of  hers,  and  her  brother,  I  understand, 
favours  the  alliance." 

Their  talk  was  then  pursued  almost  in  a  whisper,  for  the 
subject  of  it  was  near  at  hand.  Herr  Otto  Feinberg  was  still 
puffing  forth  rings  of  cigar-smoke,  lolling  back  in  his  rocking- 
chair.  Quite  a  cloud  of  it  had  collected  about  the  Chinese 
lantern  hanging  from  the  ceiling.  "  There  can  be  no  doubt, 
my  dear  Councillor,"  he  drawled,  in  his  affectedly  indifferent 
monotone,  "  that  the  projected  road  will  in  a  few  years  be  a 
source  of  immense  profit.  There  are  so  few  difficulties  to 
overcome  along  the  entire  line, — for  freight-trains  will  inevita- 
bly prefer  this  shorter  and  more  convenient  route  to  the  great 
business  marts, — and  the  advantage  that  must  accrue  to  the 
projectors  .is  evident."  He  paused  an  instant,  and,  without 
altering  his  attitude,  slightly  turned  his  head  and  cast  a  keen 
side-glance  at  the  Councillor,  who  was  just  transferring  the  last 
spoonful  of  ice  from  the  saucer  to  his  mouth.  As  no  syllable 
either  of  assent  or  of  dissent  was  uttered,  there  was  nothing  for 
it  but  the  direct  question,  "  Well,  what  do  you  say  to  it  ?  Will 


32  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

you  join  us  ?  Will  you  recommend  it  to  your  English  asso- 
ciates, and  under  what  conditions?" 

Then  for  the  first  time  the  Councillor  appeared  to  take  the 
matter  into  consideration.  That  is  to  say,  a  wavy  line  made 
its  appearance  upon  his  smooth  forehead,  and  he  inclined  his 
head  slightly  to  one  side.  A  minute  elapsed,  nevertheless, 
before  he  decided  to  open  his  mouth,  and  he  then  remarked, 
as  if  casually,  "  Is  Amberger  to  be  with  you?" 

Feinberg  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  I  should  let  him  sup- 
pose that  we  could  Jo  without  him,  at  least  until  I  am  quite 
sure  of  him.  Moritz  is,  as  you  know,  betrothed  to  my  niece 
Sidonie,  but  my  niece  Sidonie  is  capricious,  and  my  brother 
Ignaz  is  very  weak  in  that  direction.  Moritz  has  promised  me 
his  influence  with  his  sister  Katharina,  but  then  he  is  in  great 
measure  dependent  upon  his  brother  Philip,  and  Philip  is  not 
to  be  relied  upon.  You  see,  we  have  some  need  of  caution  ; 
but  if  you  really  desire " 

"  My  wish  need  not  be  taken  into  consideration  at  all,"  said 
the  Councillor,  with  a  deprecatory  wave  of  his  hand.  "Admira- 
ble as  your  project  is,  there  are  two  objections  to  it  which 
would  have  to  be  removed  before  I  could  hope  to  gain  for  it 
the  confidence  of  my  English  friends." 

Feinberg  sat  upright  in  his  chair.    "  Two  objections?" 

"  Two  objections.  If  the  road  is  what  it  ought  to  be,  it 
must  traverse  the  boundary-line.  You  will  have  to  do  with 
two  diiferent  governments,  and  you  will  hardly  reconcile  their 
separate  interests." 

Feinberg  smiled.  "  Oh,  as  to  that,  we  shall  enlist  several 
large  firms  beyond  our  borders,  who  will  find  it  for  their  owu 
interest  to  use  their  influence  for  us.  All  that  has  been 
thought  of." 

The  Councillor  deliberately  lighted  a  cigar,  and,  smoking  it 
slowly  for  a  moment,  inhaled  its  fragrance  with  an  air  of  great 
content.  "  My  dear  friend,"  he  then  said,  "  depend  upon  it, 


THE   GREEN    GATE.  33 

those  people  will  require  to  be  well  paid,  and  what  they  gain 
you  will  lose." 

"  Who  will  lose  ?  The  public  must  pay  for  all  these  un- 
avoidable expenses." 

"  If  they  can  be  estimated  beforehand.  But  perhaps  it  is 
so.  You  have  probably  considered  it  well,  and  find  there  is 
enough  profit  insured  to  make  the  project  sufficiently  attract- 
ive. Will  not  our  own  government,  however,  give  you  some 
trouble  ?" 

"  Hardly.    Why  should  it?" 

"  Then  I  am  better  informed  than  you  are.  It  will  give 
you  trouble.  If  I  understand  you  correctly,  you  rely  upon  the 
enlargement  and  co-occupation  of  the  present  depot." 

"  Of  course,  of  course  !" 

"  Let  me  inform  you  that  your  proposals  on  this  point  will 
be  emphatically  rejected — emphatically  !" 

Feinberg  tilted  his  chair  forward  and  leaned  both  arms  upon 
the  table.  "  But  for  what  earthly  reason  ?" 

"  What  reason  ?  A  very  palpable  reason,  my  dear  fellow. 
Your  town  was  built  in  old  Hanseatic  times,  when  there  was 
more  thought  of  defence  against  sudden  attack  than  of  easy 
communication.  Consequently,  the  central  streets  leading  to 
and  from  the  railroad  depot  scarcely  afford  a  passage  for  the 
traffic  of  to-day,  accidents,  more  or  less  grave,  are  continually 
occurring,  freight-wagons  are  so  often  blocked  up  that  all  the 
exertions  of  the  police  are  necessary  to  preserve  order.  Under 
no  circumstances  will  the  government  allow  of  any  farther  ob- 
struction to  traffic  there." 

"  Oh,  you  exaggerate  matters." 

"  That  may  be  ;  but  I  happen  to  know,  through  a  confiden- 
tial friend,  that  this  view  of  mine  is  the  one  at  present  enter- 
tained by  the  ministry.  The  erection  of  a  new  depot  on  the 
other  side  of  the  town  will  certainly  be  made  one  condition  of 
your  success,  and  then  the  question  arises  whether  the  site  for 
B* 


34  THE   GREEN  GATE 

it  can  be  purchased,  and,  what  is  far  more  important,  whether 
such  site  will  seem  to  the  government  sufficiently  accessible 
from  all  parts  of  the  town,  in  view  of  the  increase  of  traffic 
which  the  new  road  should  produce  As  far  as  my  own 
knowledge  of  your  town  goes,  narrow  gateways  here  and 
there  connect  the  central  streets  with  the  old  fosse,  and  in 
some  of  these  streets  two  wagons  could  hardly  pass  each 
other.  Whole  rows  of  ancient  mansions  would  have  to  be 
pulled  down  to  allow  of  free  passage-way.  I  doubt  whether 
you  and  your  brother  have  thought  of  this." 

Feinberg  knocked  the  ashes  from  his  cigar.  "  Who  would 
have  thought  of  it  ?':  he  said,  with  irritation.  "  We  must  see 
the  burgomaster,  we  must — the  deuce  !" 

The  Councillor  arose,  and  pulled  down  his  waistcoat.  "  At 
any  rate,  my  dear  fellow,"  he  said,  composedly,  "  the  plan  is 
not  yet  so  mature  that  we  need  come  to  any  decision.  Suppose 
we  walk  a  little." 

His  guest  also  arose,  and  with  him  descended  the  steps  into 
the  garden,  bestowing  but  small  attention  upon  the  palmettos 
arid  large-leaved  plants  on  either  side  of  the  path. 

Meanwhile,  the  two  girls  had  been  engaged  in  what,  to  judge 
from  their  air  and  gestures,  was  a  very  serious  and  interesting 
conversation.  Lilli  was  no  longer  so  mute  as  in  Mr.  Fairfax's 
presence.  When  he  was  first  called  away  by  her  mother,  he 
was  for  awhile  the  subject  of  conversation.  Lilli  asked  what 
Katrine  thought  of  him  and  of  his  conduct  to  her,  and 
Katrine  replied,  smiling,  that  his  aim  was  easily  discovered. 
This  seemed  to  terrify  Lilli,  who  then  confessed  that  she  had 
suspected  him  of  paying  her  particular  attention,  and  that  she 
also  thought  she  could  see  that  her  parents  favoured  him. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  him  yourself?"  Katrine  asked. 

Lilli  could  not  say.  Mr.  Fairfax  seemed  very  amiable,  and 
certainly  was  extremely  handsome,  but  she  could  not  bear  the 
idea  of  any  previous  arrangement  between  their  parents,  such 


THE    GREEN   GATE.  35 

as  she  suspected ;  and  then — oh,  there  was  something  else. 
Naturally,  her  friend  begged  to  know  what  this  something 
was,  but  for  some  time  Lilli  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to 
reveal  its  nature,  glad  though  she  evidently  would  have  been 
to  disburden  herself  of  her  secret.  At  last  she  extorted  a 
promise  of  the  deepest  secrecy  from  Katrine,  and  then  con- 
fessed, blushing  crimson  the  while,  that  the  previous  winter 
she  had  been  one  of  a  class  of  young  girls  who  had  met 
weekly  at  the  houses  of  their  several  parents  to  enjoy  the 
instruction  imparted  in  a  series  of  lectures  given  by  a  cer- 
tain distinguished  Professor ;  and  this  ^Professor — he  might 
not  be  so  regularly  handsome  as  Mr.  Fairfax,  but  he  was 
quite  young,  and  so  interesting — had  been  invited  to  many 
entertainments  at  which  she  also  had  been  present,  and  had 
called  upon  her  mother;  and  for  her  he  was — oh,  he  was 
the  only  man  worth  thinking  of  in  the  world  !  Unfor- 
tunately, several  others  of  his  youthful  hearers  shared  her 
sentiments ;  some  decided  coolnesses  had  arisen  among  them 
in  consequence.  Since  then,  to  be  sure,  Emma  Finkenstein 
and  Theodora  Hellmann  had  been  betrothed  to  two  officers, 
and  Melinda  Vanderbeeren,  who  was  the  most  enthusiastic 
of  all,  was  as  good  as  engaged  to  her  cousin ;  for  her  own 
part,  she  could  not  understand  such  fickleness, — her  heart 
was  constant.  Thus  far  she  had  got  in  her  revelations,  when 
Katrine  asked,  in  astonishment,  "  Has  any  promise  passed 
between  you?" 

"  Heavens,  no  !"  Lilli  replied.  "  That  would  have  been  im- 
possible. But  I  have  vowed  to  myself  that  none  but  he " 

She  stopped,  and  turned  away  her  face. 

"  Has  he  by  word  or  sign  given  you  to  understand " 

Lilli  shook  her  head. 

"  Has  he  so  distinguished  you  from  the  rest  that  }rou  must 
believe " 

"  Oh,  how  could  he  ?     Mamma  was  always    by,  and   of 


36  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

course  he  talked  with  her.  But  he  was  very  kind  to  me,  and 
often  looked  at  me  during  the  lecture  ;  he  must  have  felt — 

"The  matter  has  gone  no  farther,  then,"  said  Fraulein 
Amberger.  "  Does  he  continue  his  visits?" 

"  He  did  until  late  in  the  spring,  when  he  went  on  a  jour- 
ney somewhere.  That  was  the  time  that  Mr.  Fairfax  first 
began  to  come  every  day.  and — it  was  very  wrong  of  me,  but 
I  had  really  almost  forgotten  the  Professor  as  entirely  as  his 
lectures,  when " 

"  When  ?" 

"  When  we  met  him  yesterday  as  we  were  out  driving.  He 
touched  his  hat  so  kindly,  it  went  to  my  very  heart.  Mr. 
Fairfax,  who  sat  opposite  me,  noticed  how  pale  I  grew,  and  I 
really  felt  ill.  Katrine,  if  he  comes  again — and  he  will — I 
know  it She  pressed  her  friend's  arm  close  to  her  side. 

"  But  I  can  see  nothing  to  distress  you  in  such  a  prospect. 
If  he  really  loves  you " 

"  Ah,  that  would  be  terrible  !" 

"How  terrible?" 

"  My  father  and  mother  would  never  consent.  Think  !  a 
Professor,  and  with  no  money !  If  he  only  had  rank  !" 

"  But  if  you  love  him,  Lilli " 

"  Yes,  but  how  can  I  be  sure  of  that  ?  And  if  I  do,  I 
would  not  for  the  world  let  him  know  it ;  and  I  never  should 
have  the  courage  to  disobey  my  father  and  mother.  Oh,  how 
unhappy  I  am  !" 

Lilli  spoke  in  accents  of  despair,  and  pressed  Katrine's 
soft  little  hand.  Her  friend  was  silent  for  awhile,  and  then 
said,  gently  and  gravely,  "  But  you  really  do  not  dislike  Mr. 
Fairfax?" 

"How  could  I?"  asked  Lilli.  "But  I  owe  it  to  my 
heart " 

"  Do  your  heart  no  violence,"  Katrine  counselled,  with  a 
laugh,  "  and  listen  to  me.  If  the  Professor  makes  his  appear- 


THE    GREEN  GATE.  37 

ance,  I  will  see  whether  it  is  not  worth  while  to  fall  in  love 
with  him  myself,  out  of  pure  friendship,  my  dear." 

"  It  is  no  jesting  matter,"  Lilli  replied,  with  an  air  of  gentle 
reproach.  The  two  gentlemen  just  then  passed  them  ;  as  they 
did  so,  the  Councillor  good-humouredly  patted  his  daughter  on 
the  cheek,  and  Feinberg  handed  to  Katharina  a  rose-bud  which 
he  had  just  plucked  in  no  amiable  mood.  "  Is  mamma  right," 
Lilli  whispered,  when  they  had  pursued  their  opposite  paths, 
"  in  saying  that  Herr  Feinberg  makes  sure  of  winning  you  ?" 

Katrine  waved  to  and  fro  in  the  air  the  rose-bud,  which  she 
held  by  the  extreme  end  of  the  stem.  "  Is  that  what  '  mamma 
says  ?  Very  likely  there  may  have  been  some  fine  business 
arrangements  agreed  upon  among  the  higher  powers.  I,  how- 
ever, fortunately  reserve  for  myself " 

At  that  moment  Lilli's  arm  twitched  her  own  so  perceptibly 
that  the  rose-bud  fell  to  the  ground.  "  What  is  the  matter?" 
she  asked,  in  surprise,  without  stooping  to  pick  it  up. 

"  The  Professor !"  Lilli  tremblingly  whispered  in  her  ear. 

Katharina  looked  up.  A  gentleman  had  entered  the  garden, 
and  was  just  taking  off  his  hat  to  the  Councillor,  revealing  a 
broad  brow,  a  face  tanned  by  the  sun,  and  masses  of  close 
black  curls.  "  I  have  just  returned  from  my  Italian  journey," 
he  said,  in  a  mellow,  melodious  voice,  "  and  hasten  to  pay  my 
respects  to  you  all." 

Wiesel  greeted  him  cordially,  and  presented  him  to  Fein- 
berg as  "  Professor  Schonrade,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 

scholars  of  our  capital,  and  my  daughter's  instructor  in — in 

What  was  it  that  you  taught  her,  my  dear  Professor?  these 
things  slip  one's  memory  so  easily  !"  The  Professor  took  no 
notice  of  the  question,  but  turned  towards  the  pavilion,  where 
he  observed  the  Councillor's  wife.  She  rose,  and  came  towards 
him,  and,  after  he  had  kissed  her  hand,  presented  "  Mr.  Fair- 
fax, of  the  great  firm  of  Fairfax  &  King,  in  London."  The 
Englishman  greeted  the  guest  rather  formally,  and  the  Pro- 

4 


38  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

.fessor  deigned  the  merchant  no  other  notice  than  an  easy 
bow.  The  cockatoo  grew  uneasy  on  his  perch,  and  lifted  his 
yellow  crest  with  a  shrill  cry.  "  Aha !  there  you  are,  old 
friend !"  cried  the  Professor,  as  he  stepped  up  to  the  bird  and 
stroked  down  its  ruffled  feathers. 

The  two  girls  now  ascended  the  pavilion  steps.  Schonrade 
bowed  to  Lilli,  and  looked  rather  curiously  at  her  fair  com- 
panion, who  was,  on  her  part,  certainly  interested  to  observe  the 
man  who  had  turned  so  many  heads.  Two  pairs  of  very  fine 
eyes  gazed  for  an  instant  into  each  other,  and  were  apparently 
well  pleased  with  what  they  saw.  The  Councillor's  wife  drew 
her  daughter  towards  her,  and  presented  "  Friiulein  Katharina 
Arnberger,  the  sister  of  a  valued  friend  of  my  husband's,  and 
one  of  Lilli's  very  dear  companions." 

Katrine  gently  inclined  her  head  and  cast  down  her  eyes, 
but  the  Professor  was  evidently  interested.  "  Amberger  ?"  he 
asked.  "  Did  I  understand  the  name  aright?" 

The  Councillor's  wife  assented,  and  to  her  inquiry  as  to  what 
interested  him,  he  replied,  "  Oh,  the  strangest  chance.  You 
have  a  brother  Philip,  Friiulein  Amberger  ?" 

"  I  have.     At  present  absent  from  home,  in  Italy." 

"  Yes,  in  Italy.  Do  you  know,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  making 
his  acquaintance  a  few  days  ago  in  Florence,  and  even  of  lodg- 
ing with  him  in  the  palace  of  my  ancestors?" 

Katharina  laughed  :  "  In  the  palace  of  your  ancestors  ?" 

"  Oh,  it  is  too  long  a  story  to  rehearse  at  present,  but  per- 
haps at  some  future  time It  must  be  the  fact,  for  Ilerr 

Philip  Amberger  vouches  for  its  truth,  and  I  have  the  greatest 
respect  for  his  archaeological  wisdom." 

"  He  is  riding  his  hobby  in  Italy,  then  ?"  his  sister  observed. 
"  How  did  you  leave  him  ?" 

"  Apparently  in  the  best  of  health,  after  a  whole  day  of 
irritation  at  my  defective  comprehension  of  art  and  antiquity. 
I  really  should  not  wonder  if  he  had  the  entire  palace  where 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  39 

he  now  is  packed  up  in  boxes  and  transported  across  the  Alps,, 
together  with  Signer  Uccello,  the  host,  and  his  pretty  daughter, 
who  is  wonderfully  well  versed  in  a  knowledge  of  the  contents 
of  every  rubbish-shop  in  Florence." 

"  Yes,  he  squanders  an  immense  quantity  of  money  that 
were  better  employed  in  business — with  those  tastes  of  his." 
Feinberg  here  interposed. 

Katrine  gave  him  a  withering  glance.  "  I  think  Moritz's 
stud  more  expensive  than  these  hobbies  of  Philip's,"  she  said, 
carelessly. 

"  And  there  must  be  such  queer  fellows,"  Wiesel  here 
struck  in,  affably.  "  For  my  part,  I  like  to  buy  pictures.  All 
modern,  though :  they  are  the  only  ones  to  hang  up  in  our 
houses.  None  of  your  old  masters ;  thank  Heaven,  there  are 
churches  and  museums  enough  for  them.  We  people  of  to- 
day want  fresh,  bright  colours, — eh,  Herr  Professor  ?" 

"  I  am  hardly  a  competent  judge,"  Schonrade  replied.  "  You 
would  find  my  principal  tastes  and  occupations  queerer  still,  I. 
am  afraid  ;  since  I  would  with  pleasure  pay  more  for  the  fossil 
impression  of  some  fish  that  was  alive  and  swimming  mil- 
lions of  years  ago — yes,  even  for  a  single  fish-scale — than  for 
your  finest  champagne  breakfast,  my  dear  Councillor." 

Wiesel  laughed  good-humouredly.  "  You  wise  ones  are  queer 
fellows,"  said  he.  "  Every  one  to  his  liking,  say  I !" 

The  Professor  turned  to  Lilli :  "  And  you,  lady  fair,  have 
you  been  pursuing  your  researches  into  prehistoric  times  with 
enthusiasm  since  we  met?" 

Lilli  blushed  to  the  roots  of  her  hair.  "  To  tell  the  truth, 
Herr  Professor "  she  stammered. 

"  You  have  not  even  opened  the  horrid  book  that  I  recom- 
mended to  you,  and  have  entirely  forgotten  all  that  I  had  the 
honour  of  communicating  to  you  in  my  lectures,"  he  inter- 
rupted her,  with  a  bright  smile.  "  That  is  quite  as  it  should 
be.  Such  matters  rarely  do  more  than  awaken  a  short-lived 


40  THE  GREEN   GATE. 

w  curiosity  in  young  ladies,  and  I  disapprove  of  overloading  their 
memories." 

"  Oh,  I  remember  a  great  deal,"  said  Lilli.  "  Only  the  other 
day  I  had  a  dispute  with  Mr.  Fairfax  about " 

"What?  a  dispute?"  her  mother  asked,  playfully  shaking 
her  finger  at  her. 

"  About  chalk, — and  I  was  victorious." 

"  Fraulein  Lilli  took  notes  of  your  lectures,"  the  English- 
man added,  "  and  swears  by  their  correctness." 

"  Rather  rash  on  her  part,  I  think,"  said  Katrine,  with  a 
look  at  which  her  friend  blushed  still  more  deeply. 

"  Oh,  no  penalty  attaches  to  scientific  perjury,"  said  the 
Professor.  "  And  really  very  little  importance  is  attached  to 
chalk  nowadays.  In  a  short  time  no  one  will  know  what  is 
meant  by  the  phrase  to  '  chalk  up  a  score.'  Such  a  simple 
style  of  book-keeping  will  be  entirely  buried  in  oblivion." 

The  conversation  continued  merrily  enough,  Schonrade 
taking  the  lead,  involuntarily  appealing  most  frequently  to 
Katharina  Amberger.  He  stayed  until  after  supper,  and  was 
entreated  by  his  host  and  hostess  to  repeat  his  visit  shortly. 
His  promise  to  do  so  was  most  conscientiously  kept. 

Wiesel  could  hardly  have  been  the  cause  of  his  visits ;  Fein- 
berg  had  left  the  city  ;  and  although  Mr.  Fairfax,  upon  a  nearer 
acquaintance,  proved  to  be  a  man  of  culture,  rather  agreeable 
than  otherwise  to  the  Professor,  the  Councillor's  wife  did  not  for 
one  moment  suppose  him  to  be  the  attraction.  Scarcely  a  day 
passed  that  did  not  bring  him,  if  only  for  a  few  minutes,  "just 
because  he  was  passing."  "  I  really  hardly  understand  myself," 
he  said,  "  why,  as  soon  as  I  shut  up  my  books  and  go  out  for 
my  daily  walk,  I  am  sure  to  find  myself  before  long  at  this 
house.  I  really  cannot  pass  by  without  coining,  in.'1 

"  And  why  should  you  wish  to  pass  us  by,  my  dear  Pro- 
fessor ?"  the  lady  inquired,  with  an  encouraging  smile. 

"  Because  I  ought  not  to  be  so  weak  as  to  be  unable  to  resist 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  41 

the  enchantment  of  this  garden,"  he  replied.  "  My  feet  are 
stayed  as  by  magic,  my  hand  is  forced  to  lift  the  latch  of  the 
gate,  and,  before  I  know  it,  here  I  am,  not  even  attempting  to 
stammer  out  an  excuse  for  my  presence." 

"  As  if  it  needed  any  !  We  so  enjoy  our  evenings  in  your 
society  !"  she  declared,  casting  down  her  eyes.  "  Do  we  not, 
Mr.  Fairfax  ?  Am  I  not  right,  young  ladies  ?" 

The  Englishman  hastened  to  confirm  her  words,  Lilli  grew 
crimson  and  nodded  to  Katrine  instead  of  to  her  mother,  while 
Katrine  gave  an  odd  little  laugh  and  shot  one  glance  from 
beneath  her  long  lashes  at  the  Professor,  who  could  not  take 
his  eyes  from  her. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  he  said ;  "  I  will  come  until  you  are 
really  tired  of  me,  and  I  trust  to  your  friendship  to  tell  me 
when  it  is  so." 

And  thus  he  came  regularly  every  evening.  Even  the  rainy 
weather,  which,  although  it  was  the  middle  of  summer,  set  in 
and  lasted  a  week,  did  not  delay  his  visits  iu  the  least.  He 
himself  laughed  at  his  own  punctuality,  for  which  he  did  not 
seem  at  all  dependent  upon  his  watch. 

To  tell  the  truth,  the  Councillor's  wife  was  greatly  inclined 
to  ascribe  to  herself  that  power  of  attraction  which  the  Pro- 
fessor had  described  as  so  magical. 

She  would  have  been  virtuously  indignant  if  her  most  con- 
fidential friend  had  believed  her  capable  of  unfaithfulness  to 
her  husband,  towards  whom,  although  she  had  never  felt  any 
enthusiasm  of  affection,  she  had  always,  and,  in  her  younger 
days,  in  spite  of  various  temptations,  preserved  that  mixture 
of  respect  and  esteem  which  her  relations  with  him  required. 
Surely  he  had  good  cause  to  be  as  free  from  jealousy  or  mis- 
trust of  her  as  he  certainly  was.  It  had  assuredly  never  yet 
occurred  to  her  to  cherish  any  actual  sentiment  for  the  inter- 
esting Professor  that  could  be  in  any  way  offensive  to  her  hus- 
band ;  but  in  order  to  pass  away  the  time  that  hung  so  heavily 

4* 


42  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

on  her  hands,  she  read  such  a  quantity  of  novels  that  her  head 
was  filled  with  all  sorts  of  sentimental  nonsense,  and  it  enter- 
tained her  to  give  her  foolish  fancy  free  play,  and  imagine  her- 
self a  heroine  of  romance,  who  might  have  sentimental  trials 
if  she  chose.  To  be  sure,  it  was  rather  an  unpleasant  reflec- 
tion that,  although  she  was  still  so  young  as  not  to  have  out- 
grown those  needs  of  the  heart  which  her  rather  phlegmatic 
but  very  worthy  husband  was  ill  fitted  to  satisfy,  she  hud 
a  grown-up  daughter  on  the  probable  eve  of  marriage.  Re- 
clining upon  her  luxurious  lounge,  with  a  book  in  her  hand 
that  condoned  so  amiably  all  small  deviations  from  the  right 
and  brought  matters  to  a  crisis  so  entertainingly,  extricating 
the  heroine  so  deftly  from  her  delicate  distresses,  it  was  easy 
to  fancy  to  herself  many  an  exciting  and  thrilling  scene,  wherein 
she  always  played  the  principal  part,  and  which  she  could  lead 
to  a  tragic  or  a  cheerful  conclusion  according  to  her  mood  of 
the  moment.  To  the  Professor  was  assigned  the  part  of -the 
ami  de  la  maison,  concealing  beneath  the  quiet  mask  of  friend- 
ship the  most  dangerous  qualities.  Suppose  he  should  find 
her  alone  here  some  day,  and,  throwing  himself  at  her  feet, 
declare  his  passion,  and  then  suppose  that,  before  she  had  time 
to  recall  him  to  himself,  Wiesel,  or  her  daughter,  or  even  the 
housemaid,  should  come  in  and  surprise  them.  Here  were 
three  startling  contingencies.  Without  any  fault  of  her  own, 
her  husband  might  insult  her  by  most  unworthy  suspicions, 
and  his  jealousy  once  aroused  might  transform  him  to  a 
blood-thirsty  tiger;  or  Lilli  herself  might  cherish  a  secret 
passion  for  the  Professor,  and  distressing  scenes  would  then 
ensue  between  the  mother  and  the  daughter,  in  which,  natu- 
rally enough,  Mr.  Fairfax  would  come  to  play  a  part ;  or  the 
housemaid,  in  possession  'of  such  a  secret,  might  prove  her 
tyrant  and  tormentor,  embittering  her  existence,  until  matters 
should  be  made  smooth  once  more  by  an  open  confession  and 
a  touching  scene  of  forgiveness.  All  these  situations  were  fre- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  43 

quent  in  books,  why  should  they  not  exist  in  reality  ?  She  did 
not  actually  believe  that  they  would  come  to  pass,  but  the  con- 
templation of  their  possible'  occurrence  had  for  her  an  inex- 
haustible charm.  And  her  romance  was  not,  after  all,  quite 
air-spun  ;  there  must  be  some  reason  for  the  Professor's  con- 
stant visits.  It  was  so  good  of  him  to  bestow  upon  her  so 
much  of  his  time;  why  should  she  not  be  grateful,  without, 
of  course,  allowing  him  to  perceive  how  much  more  she  gave 
to  him  ?  why  should  her  hand  not  tremble  slightly  when  he 
kissed  it  as  he  took  leave  of  her  ?  why  should  not  her  fingers 
contract  in  a  slight  pressure  ?  why  should  not  her  pale  cheek 
flush  beneath  his  gaze,  her  weary  eye  brighten  ?  It  was  all  a 
device,  to  be  sure,  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  her  existence.  So 
long  as  he  retained  his  attitude  of  respectful  deference,  why 
should  not  she  encourage  his  advances,  since  she  could  repel 
them  when  she  chose  ? 

It  was  a  pity  that  no  one  was  more  entirely  unconscious  of 
all  her  coquettish  manoeuvres  than  Schonrade  himself.  The 
Councillor's  wife,  with  her  languishing  airs,  her  irritable  nerves, 
her  idleness,  and  her  want  of  culture,  had  never  attracted  him 
in  the  least,  although,  of  course,  he  was  courtesy  itself  towards 
her,  indebted  to  her  hospitality  as  he  was.  It  never  entered 
his  mind  that  she  could  attribute  the  duration  and  frequency 
of  his  visits  to  her  own  charms,  but  he  felt  too  sensibly  the 
value  of  her  good  will  to  neglect  any  opportunity  of  paying 
friendly  court  to  her,  and  perhaps  sometimes  he  was  even 
more  courteous  than  the  occasion  demanded.  Wiesel  himself 
thought  the  Professor  a  great  favourite,  but  he  had  entire 
( onfidence  in  his  better  half,  and  was  glad  to  profit  b,y  the 
improvement  that  was  evident  in  her  daily  temper  of  mind. 
She  did  not  talk  nearly  so  much  of  her  nerves  or  of  visiting 
some  watering-place. 

Lilli  accounted  after  her  own  fashion  for  the  Professor's 
increased  attentions  to  her  mother,  from  whom  she  seemed  to 


44  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

have  inherited  the  capacity  for  inventing  startling  situations. 
Every  day  she  saw  more  clearly  that  Schb nrade  had  perceived 
her  preference,  and  was  now  doing  all  that  he  could  to  ingratiate 
himself  with  her  mother,  that  her  sympathies  might  be  enlisted 
upon  his  side  when  the  decisive  moment  should  arrive.  She 
knew  well  that  he  could  never  hope  for  success  in  his  suit ;  but 
when  she  trembled  at  this  thought  it  was  not  irr  the  anticipa 
tion  of  a  conflict  with  her  parents  or  with  a  sense  that  life  was 
empty  without  him,  but  with  pity  for  the  poor  man  of  whose 
misery  she  should  be  the  cause.  In  a  frank  self-examination 
she  Avas  obliged  to  admit  that  she  did  not  really  care  for  him. 
He  had  impressed  her  greatly  by  his  learning,  his  judgment, 
and  his  manly  maturity  of  thought,  but  in  the  familiar  home- 
circle  his  image  lost  the  misty  charm  with  which  distance  had 
invested  it :  he  was  altogether  too  real ;  he  was  older  than  she 
h-act" supposed,  and  not  nearly  so  handsome  ;  she  was  never  at 
her  ease  with  him  ;  in  fact,  he  was  far  better  suited  to  be  her 
mother's  companion  than  hers.  She  turned  with  relief  to  the 
young  Englishman,  although  he  was  not  half  so  interesting. 
And  the  poor  chUd  was  distressed  to  see  that  the  Professor 
never  suspected  danger  in  Mr.  Fairfax,  but  treated  him  with 
all  the  courtesy  and  kindness  possible,  as  if  he  were  too  sure 
of  the  future  to  be  affected  by  the  presence  of  a  rival.  She 
would  have  liked  to  warn  him  that  his  hopes  were  vain,  if  she 
had  only  known  how  to  begin ;  at  all  events,  she  could  treat 
him  with  increasing  coolness,  while  she  was  amiability  itself  to 
the  Englishman.  She  took  it  quite  ill  of  Katharina  that  she 
had  not  kept  her  promise.  "  You  said,"  she  complained,  "  that 
}ou  would  make  the  Professor  fall  in  love  with  you,  that  I 
might  be  absolved  from  my  promise  to  myself,  and  you  have 
done  nothing,  nothing  at  all  for  me,  although  I  have  told  you 
everything.  Do  you  call  that  friendship?" 

Katrine  kissed  her,  and  whispered,  soothingly, "  Wait  awhile ; 
all  may  yet  be  well.     I  can't  help  his  taking  no  notice  of  me." 


THE   GR&EN  GATE.  45 

But  she  knew  better.  Schb'nrade's  visits  were  all  on  the  fair 
Katharina's  account,  and  he  was  at  as  great  pains  to  convince 
her  privately  of  this  as  to  conceal  his  preference  for  her  from  the 
.rest  of  the  household.  Every  one  was  so  self-occupied  that  he 
succeeded  admirably.  True,  minutes,  sometimes  only  seconds, 
of  time  were  all  that  were  vouchsafed  to  him  in  which  he  could 
approach  her  unobserved  ;  but  he  made  the  best  use  of  them, 
and,  when  he  ventured  to  hope  that  he  was  understood,  love 
quickened  his  inventive  faculty,  and  he  resorted  to  a  hundred 
devices  for  showing  her  his  preference  unobserved  by  the 
others.  And  Katrine  understood  him.  There  seemed  to  have 
existed  a  mutual  understanding  between  them  from  that  first 
evening  when  these  two  people,  until  then  entire  strangers, 
had  first  gazed  in  each  other's  eyes. 

The  Professor  belonged  to  an  order  of  men  hitherto  unknown 
to  Katharina,  and  she  could  not  but  wonder  to  find  herself  so 
entirely  at  ease  in  his  society.  At  home,  those  composing 
her  social  circle  were  chiefly  her  brother's  business  friends,  or 
elderly  scholars,  who  were  invited  to  the  house  upon  the  occa- 
sion of  any  festivity.  Now,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  she 
had  the  opportunity  of  daily  intercourse  with  a  man  still  young 
who  belonged  to  the  first  rank  of  social  and  mental  culture, — 
accomplished,  learned,  and  yet  evidently  taking  the  greatest 
delight  in  her  society,  scarcely  more  than  a  school-girl  though 
she  were.  He  knew  so  much,  and  yet  made  no  pretension ; 
his  views  of  life  were  so  cheerful,  and  yet  so  profound.  It 
was  delightful  to  converse  with  him,  feeling  that,  so  far  from 
looking  down  upon  her,  he  enjoyed  her  gay  replies  to  his  own 
brilliant  remarks.  And  he  did  indeed  enjoy  them.  How 
musically  she  laughed !  and  what  magnificent  masses  of  fair 
hair  she  had  !  and  then  her  eyes  ! 

His  eyes,  too !  Katrine  thought  them  entirely  different 
from  all  other  eyes  in  the  world.  They  fairly  spoke,  and  she 
believed  she  could  understand  what  they  said.  And  if  he 


46  THE"  GREEN  GA  TE. 

handed  her  a  flower,  and  their  hands  met  for  an  instant,  it  was 
something  to  remember  all  day  long. 

Each  day  brought  some  fresh  proof  of  mutual  understand- 
ing, and  each  parting  glance  carried  with  it  the  hope  of  the 
next  meeting. 

Who  could  wonder  that  the  Professor  found  the  Councillor 
very  agreeable,  his  wife  very  interesting,  Lilli  most  amiable, 
and  even  the  young  Englishman  quite  entertaining  ? 

One  afternoon,  upon  presenting  himself  at  the  villa  at  the 
usual  time,  he  learned  to  his  great  regret,  from  the  servant, 
that  the  family  were  from  home  and  would  not  return  before 
night.  He  left  his  regards  for  them,  and  with  downcast  looks 
sauntered  slowly  through  the  garden  towards  the  gate.  As 
he  passed  by  a  rose-bush  he  stopped  to  admire  a  full-blown 
rose  which  he  and  Katrine  had  noticed  for  its  beauty  as  a  bud 
on  the  previous  evening.  He  could  not  resist  taking  it  in  his 
hand  and  carrying  it  to  his  lips ;  not  for  the  sake  of  inhaling 
its  fragrance — no, — he  kissed  it,  and  then,  as  if  by  that  act 
he  had  made  it  his  own,  he  broke  it  from  its  stem.  Sud- 
denly he  heard  a  well-known  voice  exclaim,  "  Oho !  I  call 
that  robbery ! " 

He  looked  round,  startled,  and  saw  Katharina  Amberger 
in  the  pavilion.  She  was  sitting  at  a  small  table,  with  her 
writing-materials  before  her,  and  shaking  her  pen  at  him  with 
an  air  of  playful  menace.  He  could  almost  have  shouted  for 

joy- 

"  Are  you  really  at  home  ?"  he  cried,  going  directly  to- 
wards the  pavilion. 

"  If  you  are  sure  this  is  not  my  ghost." 

"  I  can  hardly  make  up  my  mind  upon  that  point  yet." 

"  Oh,  you  don't  believe  in  ghosts?" 

"  Don't  I  ?     I  believe  with  all  my  heart  in  good  spirits." 

"  And  how  can  you  tell,  Herr  Professor,  that  a  spirit  is  a 
good  spirit  ?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  47 

"  Good  spirits  never  vanish.  I  simply  repeat  the  old  for- 
mula, '  All  good  spirits  praise  the1  Lord !' "  He  raised  his 
hands  like  Doctor  Faust.  "  You  are  there  still  ?" 

"  I  have  not  yet  quite  learned  to  fly  through  the  air  on  a 
broomstick." 

"  Then  you  must  allow  me  to  believe  you  the  very  best 
spirit  ever  veiled  in  a  mortal  form.  May  I  come  in?" 

She  extended  her  arms  across  the  space  between  the  slender 
pillars.  "No  ;  'twill  not  do.  I  have  a  headache." 

He  was  standing  on  the  lowest  step,  his  hat  in  his  hand, 
and  there  was  a  look  of  entreaty  in  his  fine  eyes.  "  Ah,  you 
have  a  headache  ! "  he  said,  with  compassionate  credulity. 

"And  so  I  stayed  at  home,"  she  continued,  letting  her 
arms  drop  ;  "  for  indeed  I  must  write  letters.  Mamma  ex- 
pects one,  and  Philip " 

"  Oh,  he  can  wait,"  lie  interrupted  her.  "  You  have  no 
idea  how  shadowy  one's  home  becomes  in  Italy." 

"  Was  that  your  case  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  had  nothing  to  become  shadowy  but  a  mother,  and 
she  has  always  been  most  indulgent."  And  he  ascended 
another  step. 

"  Mothers  are  not  always  indulgent,"  she  observed,  and  her 
forehead  contracted  into  a  slight  frown,  as  she  rested  the  end 
of  her  silver  pen-holder  against  her  chin. 

"  She  won't  mind  my  staying  a  minute." 

"I'm  not  sure  of  that." 

He  hesitated.  "  May  I  offer  you  this  exquisite  rose  ?"  And 
as  he  spoke  he  mounted  the  last  step  and  stood  beside  her. 

"  To  make  me  your  accomplice  in  theft,"  she  said,  retreat- 
ing to  the  table. 

"  It  is  the  same  that  we  admired  yesterday  in  the  bud,"  he 
said ;  "  to-morrow  it  would  have  faded."  And  then,  more 
seriously,  "  I  pray  you,  do  not  refuse  this  rose." 

Her  face,  too,  suddenly  grew  grave.     She  stretched  out  her 


48  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

hand  and  took  the  flower,  saying  nothing,  but,  with  downcast 
eyes  fixed  upon  it,  seeming  to  wait  for  him  to  take  leave  of 
her. 

He  felt  that  he  ought  not  to  remain  any  longer,  and  yet 
he  could  not  stir  from  the  spot.  When  would  such  another 
moment  be  his  ?  Perhaps  never  again.  Katrine  alone ! — 
Good  heavens !  what  mortal  man  could  make  his  bow  and 
carry  away  his, heart  full  to  overflowing  from  such  a  presence  ? 
Such  a  one  would  deserve  to  fail.  This  moment  was  his 
own  :  he  would  not  lose  it.  His  heart  throbbed  almost  pain- 
fully ;  he  sought  Katrine's  eyes,  but  her  long  lashes  were  not 
raised. 

"  Frilulein  Katharina,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "may  I  ask 
one  question  of  fate  ?" 

"  It  will  not  answer,"  she  replied,  in  as  low  a  tone. 

" You  are  my  fate,"  he  rejoined,  with  a  hurried  earnest- 
ness that  evidently  startled  her,  "  and  you  can  answer  if  you 
will." 

He  waited  a  moment,  listening  for  some  word  from  her ; 
but  none  came,  and  she  grew  very  pale.  Then  she  slowly 
raised  the  rose  in  her  hand  to  her  lips,  and  held  it  there. 

He  thrilled  with  delight.     Had  he  not  kissed  it  too  ? 

"  You  must  know  already  what  I  would  say  to  you,"  he 
continued.  "  I  love  you.  But  the  consciousness  that  you 
know  it  does  not  content  me.  I  must  ask  you — 

The  rose  in  her  hand  trembled  violently.  "  No,  no  !" 
she  begged,  "  do  not  ask — not  now — not  here — oh,  do  not 
ask!" 

"  And  should  I  obey  you,  what  should  I  carry  from  yoin 
presence  ?  A  restless  heart.  And  what  should  I  leave  here  ? 
A  restless  heart.  No,  we  must  understand  each  other  now, 
now  that  we  stand  here  face  to  face.  Do  not  fear  lest  too 
much  happiness  should  cause  me  to  forget  that  you  are  not 
in  your  own  home, — that  others  who  are  to  be  consulted  arc 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  49 

far  from  here.  But  answer  me,  I  entreat  you,  as  you  would 
answer  your  own  heart.  Can  you,  will  you,  give  your  happi- 
ness into  my  keeping  ?" 

She  clasped  her  hands  about  the  flower,  and,  looking  full  in 
his  face  with  eyes  in  which  joy  and  pain  were  strangely  blended, 
said,  "  I  will." 

For  one  instant  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  impulse  to  throw 
himself  at  her  feet,  to  clasp  her  to  his  heart,  was  irresistible. 
But  he  retained  his  self-control ;  his  eyes  alone,  flashing  with 
exultation  and  glowing  with  love,  betrayed  the  ecstasy  of  hap- 
piness that  he  felt.  Thus  they  stood  for  a  minute  gazing  into 
the  depths  of  each  other's  souls,  and  then  he  said,  gently,  "  My 
eyes  kiss  you,  Katrine." 

A  burning  blush  suffused  her  cheeks,  and  she  whispered, 
"  Go,  go !  I  cannot  bear  this.  We  must  not  meet  again  thus." 

"No,  not  thus,"  he  cried;  "you  are  right.  To-morrow 
morning  I  shall  start  for  your  home,  present  myself  to  your 
mother  and  brother,  and  ask  your  hand  from  them." 

Her  look  grew  timorous  and  startled.  "  And  if  they 
refuse  ?" 

"Oh,  how  can  they?"  he  interrupted  her.  "How  could 
they  destroy  our  happiness  ?  With  the  knowledge  that  you 
love  me,  I  fear  nothing.  Surely  there  is  no  reason  why  I  may 
not  woo  and  win  you." 

Katrine  smiled  gratefully  upon  him,  but  her  look  was  still 
troubled.  "  You  do  not  know — you  cannot  imagine  how  all 

the  habits  of  an  ancient  merchant  race My  father's  will 

gives  my  brothers  great  power  over  me;  and  my  mother " 

"  She  shall  know  that  her  child's  affection  is  given  to  a  man 
of  honour,  in  whom  she  can  trust." 

"  But  she  has  prejudices  and  opinions  that  you  do  not 

dream  of.  She  never  will  comprehend Oh,  heavens ! 

how  could  I  without  first  obtaining  her  consent " 

"  Do  you  repent,  Katrine?" 


50  TEE  GREEN  GATE. 

11  No,  no,  no  !" 

"  Then  let  us  hope  for  the  best.  And  if  we  fearlessly  cling 
to  each  other,  who  can  separate  our  hearts  ?" 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  her,  and  she  placed  her  own 
within  it.  Then  he  turned  hastily  away,  and,  with  a  gay 
"Au  revoir"  hurried  down  the  pavilion  steps  and  towards  the 
garden-gate. 

Katrine  looked  after  him.  Once  he  turned,  and  their  gaze 
met,  and  then  he  vanished  among  the  trees. 

She  wrote  no  letters  that  day. 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

THE  Professor  turned  into  the  first  cross-street  leading  to 
the  Thiergarten,  and  pursued  his  way  for  a  time,  scarcely 
knowing  whither  he  was  going.  Suddenly  he  hailed  a 
passing  droschky,  and  gave  directions  to  be  driven  to  a 
house  in  the  Charlottenstrasse.  His  mother  lived  there. 

From  old  Hanna,  who  occupied  a  position  between  ser- 
vant and  friend, — in  former  times  she  had  been  first  chorus- 
singer,  and  then  dresser, — he  learned  that  her  mistress  had 
gone  to  the  theatre.  "  Would  he  not  await  her  return  ?"  she 
asked,  opening  the  door  into  the  pretty  little  drawing-room. 
But  he  was  too  restless  to  spend  half  an  hour  here  quietly 
waiting.  He  would  return  in  a  little  while,  if  it  were  not 
too  late,  and  he  walked  slowly  along  towards  the  Lindens  and 
the  opera-house,  thinking  that  he  would  wait  for  his  mother 
there. 

He  could  hardly  tell  why  he  was  so  determined  to  see  her 
before  he  slept,  but  so  it  was.  He  had  nothing  especial  to 
say  to  her,  for  he  could  not  yet  tell  her  of  what  at  present 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  51 

filled  his  heart  and  mind.  But  he  could  not  bear  to  be  alone, 
and  no  one  in  the  world  was  so  near  to  him  as  his  mother, 
He  reproached  himself  with  having  rather  neglected  her  of 
late,  and  wished  to  atone  for  such  short-comings.  And  thus 
he  walked  to  and  fro  before  the  opera-house,  waiting  until  the 
performance  should  be  over. 

He  wondered  whether  his  mother  had  ordered  a  carriage. 
He  knew  that  she  preferred  driving  to  walking,  but  living  in 
Berl'n  was  expensive,  and  she  avoided  all  unnecessary  outlay. 
The  opera  was,  however,  one  of  the  necessities  of  her  life, — 
she  could  economize  elsewhere ;  he  knew  that  her  supper 
would  be  a  frugal  one,  and  that  he  could  hardly  hope  to  be 
invited  to  share  it.  The  noble  Signora  Camilla  Bellarota  had 
some  very  German  traits,  and  her  son,  in  whose  veins  there 
was  a  still  larger  admixture  of  German  bloo/i,  was  sometimes 
greatly  amused  by  them,  although  he  respectfully  concealed 
such  amusement.  But  to-day  he  longed  to  give  her  some 
special  proof  of  his  affection.  He  had  no  cause  to  resort  to 
philosophical  reasoning,  he  knew  instinctively  that  the  affec 
tion  with  which  his  heart  was  overflowing,  unlike  other  treas 
ures,  increased  the  more  it  was  bestowed.  If  there  was  any 
loser  by  this  new  love  of  his,  it  was  his  mother,  who  had 
hitherto  had  no  rival  in  his  heart. 

He  was  not  afraid  of  missing  her  in  the  crowd.  She  took 
a  child-like  delight,  not  perhaps  in  striking  attire,  but  in 
bright  colors,  and  usually  wore  at  night  a  scarlet  wrap,  that 
was  easily  distinguished.  She  was  taller,  too,  than  most 
women,  and  treading  the  boards  of  the  stage  had  given  her 
an  unmistakable  stateliness  of  carriage.  Her  son  would  have 
recognized  her  among  thousands  without  seeing  her  face.  He 
looked  this  evening  for  the  scarlet  wrap,  and  soon  found  her 
whom  he  sought,  and  for  whom  he  had  selected  the  best  of 
the  long  row  of  nacres  drawn  up  against  the  sidewalk. 

Camilla  smiled  brightly  as  she  recognized  her  son's  noble 


52  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

figure  standing  hat  in  hand  among  the  crowd  outside  of  the 
house,  and  waved  her  hand,  in  which  she  still  held  her  fan 
and  opera-glass.  He  addressed  her  in  her  paternal  tongue, 
and  offered  her  his  arm  to  conduct  her  to  the  carriage.  She 
took  it  with  a  grace  that  was  all  her  own,  making  no  remark 
upon  his  filial  attention,  to  which  she  was  indeed  accustomed. 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me,"  he  asked,  "  that  you  were 
going  to  the  opera  to-night?  I  thought  that  now  that 
our  principal  prime  donne  have  gone,  and  the  season  is 
over " 

"  But  I  love  this  opera,"  she  interrupted  him,  quickly.  "  I 
used  to  sing  in  it  very  often,  and  then  I  like  to  hear  those  of 
our  singers  who,  although  they  are  not  stars,  have  still  suffi- 
cient voice  and  culture  to  give  great  pleasure.  I  know  from 
experience  how  much  they  suffer  in  being  deposed  from  the 
front  rank  to  give  place  to  some  favourite  voice  whose  reputa- 
tion may  not,  after  all,  be  genuine.  And  the  ensemble  to-night 
was  excellent.  I  have  been  greatly  entertained." 

While  she  was  speaking,  he  had  put  her  into  the  carriage 
and  seated  himself  beside  her.  "  You  know,"  he  said,  in  a  tone 
of  gentle  reproach,  "  that  I  am  always  at  your  service  as  an 
escort,  although  my  means,  unfortunately,  do  not  allow  of  my 
keeping  a  carriage  for  you."  She  leaned  lightly  upon  his  shoul- 
der, tapped  his  hand  gently  with  her  fan,  and  said,  with  a 
laugh,  "  All  in  good  time.  You  have  been  fairly  buried  in 
your  books  since  your  return.  Confess,  now,  that  you  are  glad 
not  to  have  me  interrupt  you." 

If  there  had  been  light  enough  in  the  carriage,  Camilla 
would  have  seen  him  blush ;  and  the  jolting  of  the  vehicle 
accounted  for  the  stammer  with  which  he  muttered  some  ex- 
cuse for  the  infrequency  of  his  visits.  His  conscience  pricked 
him,  and  he  could  hardly  understand  such  a  state  of  affairs ; 
a  few  short  weeks  previously  he  would  have  affirmed  that  there 
could  be  no  secrets  between  his  mother  and  himself,  on  his 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  53 

side.  Surely  what  had  thus  changed  him  was  most  incompre- 
hensible. 

The  carriage  stopped.  The  Professor  handed  his  mother 
out,  and  she  took  his  hand  as  if  in  farewell.  "  When  will  you 
come  again?"  she  asked. 

He  thought  he  know  why  she  was  so  ready  to  dismiss  him, 
but  determined  to  pay  no  heed.  "  Haven't  you  a  little  time 
for  me  now  ?"  he  inquired.  "  You  cannot  sleep  immediately 
after  the  opera." 

"  Certainly,  certainly,"  she  said  ;  "  but  if  you  have  had  no 

supper "  touching  upon  the  point  she  would  have  avoided 

if  possible. 

"  Oh,  I  have  had  quite  enough,"  he  hastened  to  assure  her, 
and  with  perfect  truth,  although  his  food  had  not  been  of  the 
"  meat  that  perisheth." 

"  At  this  season  of  the  year  I  take  nothing  after  the  theatre 
but  a  glass  of  lemonade  and  a  biscuit,"  she  remarked,  thus 
making  all  due  explanation  of  her  frugal  meal. 

As  they  went  up-stairs,  she  gave  orders  to  have  the  two  large 
lamps  in  the  little  drawing-room  lighted.  The  Professor  listened 
with  a  smile ;  he  knew  how  his  mother  liked  to  have  her  room 
brilliantly  lighted  for  her  guests,  and  that  he  was  the  most  hon- 
oured among  them.  She  herself  lighted  the  candles  upon  the 
piano,  and,  sitting  down  for  an  instant,  ran  her  fingers  lightly 
over  the  keys  in  a  reminiscence  of  the  opera  she  had  just  heard. 

As  we  know,  the  Professor  really  had  nothing  of  importance 
to  say  to  his  mother ;  he  only  wanted  to  be  with  her  for  awhile 
And  so  he  leaned  comfortably  back  in  an  arm-chair,  smoking, 
by  special  permission,  a  cigarette,  while  Camilla  sat  upon  a 
lounge,  preparing  her  lemonade.  They  talked  easily  and  gayly 
upon  all  manner  of  indifferent  subjects.  The  still  beautiful 
woman,  with  masses  of  black,  slightly  waving  hair,  and  large, 
fine  eyes,  was  an  adept  in  this  kind  of  conversation,  which  her 
stage  career  had  given  her  abundant  opportunity  of  cultivating. 


54  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

The  Professor  could  have  no  better  relaxation  after  a  day  of 
hard  work  than  in  listening  to  her  gay  talk.  She  seemed  to 
wear  her  heart  upon  her  sleeve,  but  it  was  no  easy  task  to  dis- 
cover its  depths. 

He  was  more  absent-minded  than  was  his  wont,  and,  like  an 
unskilful  steersman,  allowed  the  conversation  to  drift  too  near 
what  he  wished  to  avoid.  After  his  return  from  Italy  he  had 
told  her  of  his  meeting  with  a  young  man  in  Florence  who 
had  "  discovered  the  palace  of  his  ancestors,"  without,  however, 
mentioning  Philip's  name,  then  a  matter  of  indifference  to  him. 
Now  he  referred  to  the  story  again,  and  she  reminded  him  that 
he  had  told  her  all  about  it. 

"  But  to  my  surprise,"  he  said,  "  there  is  a  sequel  to  it.  I 
met  at  Councillor  Wiesel's,  the  other  day,  a  young  girl,  a  sister 
of  Philip  Amberger's." 

"  Amberger  ?"  she  repeated,  in  a  tone  of  inquiry. 

"Does  the  name  interest  you?"  he  asked,  pleased  that  she 
should  pursue  the  subject. 

"  I  knew  a  family  of  that  name,"  she  said,  with  some  hesita- 
tion, "buHt  is  long  since." 

He  mentioned  the  town  to  which  they  belonged,  and  she 
nodded  thoughtfully,  without  replying.  "  A  very  charming 
young  person,"  he  remarked,  and  then  was  vexed  with  himself 
for  saying  anything  so  commonplace  about  Katharina  Amber- 
ger. Camilla  replied  merely  by  an  indifferent  "  Indeed  ?"  and 
then  changed  the  subject  of  conversation. 

Again  he  steered  his  craft  in  among  the  shoals.  He  was 
thinking,  he  observed,  of  taking  another  journey.  This  in- 
terested her,  and  she  asked  whither  he  was  going  and  how  long 
he  should  be  gone.  He  named  the  town  where  Katharina 
lived,  and,  to  divert  any  suspicion  of  the  real  purport  of  his 
journey,  laid  great  stress  upon  the  fact  that  it  had  always 
been  a  member  of  the  Hanseatic  League,  and  must  certainly 
contain  many  interesting  relics  and  architectural  curiosities 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  55 

from  those  old  times,  well  worthy  of  study.  Then,  just  as 
he  directed  towards  her  what  was  intended  for  an  indifferent 
glance,  he  saw  that  she  had  grown  very  pale  and  was  looking 
at  him  anxiously. 

"How  came  you  to  think  of  that?"  she  stammered.  All 
cheerfulness  had  vanished  from  her  face,  which  wore  a  hard, 
stern  expression. 

"  I  told  you "  he  replied ;  and,  without  venturing  to 

repeat  his  former  pretext,  broke  off",  and  said,  "  It  seems  to 
affect  you  strangely." 

She  hastily  assented.  "  It  does,  it  certainly  does.  Do  not 
go  there,  my  son." 

"  But  why  not?     Do  you  know  the  town  ?" 

Her  dark  eyes  suddenly  glistened  with  tears.  She  arose  and 
went  to  her  writing-table,  and  took  from  it  a  little  bronze  easel 
upon  which  was  a  picture  in  a  medallion-frame,  at  which  she 
looked  for  a  moment  and  then  returned  it  to  its  place.  The 
Professor  let  his  cigar  go  out  and  regarded  her  with  amazement. 

"  The  name  of  this  town  seems  to  awaken  recollections  that 
agitate  you,"  he  began,  after  awhile.  "Will  you  tell  me " 

"  No,  no!"  she  cried,  resuming  her  seat;  "it  is  nothing!" 

"Nothing,  mother?" 

"  It  has  long  been  nothing,  and  never  shall  be  anything 
again.  Only  this, — your  grandfather,  Carlo  Bellarota,  died 
there." 

"  There  ?" 

"In  the  public  hospital,  poor  and  homeless.  He,  great 
singer  that  he  was  !  I  have  talked  with  those  who  heard  him 
in  his  best  days ;  they  spoke  of  him  with  enthusiasm.  And, 
only  a  few  years  before  his  death,  he  had  had  a  perfect  ovation 
in  that  very  town ;  laurel-wreaths  were  thrown  upon  the  stage 
at  his  feet.  And  when  he  lost  his  voice, — his  sole  possession, 
— what  was  he  ?  A  beggar,  left  to  die  in  a  hospital.  He,  of 
so  ancient  a  race !  Was  it  not  enough  that  he  was  forced  to 


56  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

leave  hfe  country  and  seek  his  fortune  as  a  wandering  exile  ? 
How  hard  to  see  his  wife  die  in  giving  me  birth,  and  to  leave 
me  with  no  means  of  support !  In  those  days  there  were  none 
of  these  premiums,  these  benefits,  that  enrich  even  mediocre 
talent ;  and  he  so  hated  mediocrity.  He  was  a  singer  by  the 
grace  of  Grod  and  of  art.  Oh,  his  like  would  be  hard  to  find  ! 
And  so  he  died  poor.  But  that  among  all  those  who  had  feted 
and  caressed  him  not  one  was  found  to  hold  it  an  honour  to  offer 
the  poor  broken  man  an  asylum  in  his  house, — not  one, — not 
even  that  Amberger  who  prided  himself  upon  never  missing  an 
opera, — is  an  insult  that  I  never  can  forget,  Xaver,  that  I 
never  will  forget,  and  that  you  never  should  forget  when  you 
enter  the  gate  of  that  town  whose  best-born  citizens  are  such 
sordid  tradesmen." 

"  Were,  mother, — were,"  he  corrected  her.  "  You  are 
speaking  of  more  than  forty  years  ago.  Everything  is 
changed  since  then.  And  you  were  a  child,  with  no  judg- 
ment; you  could  not  know " 

"  But  I  could  see,  I  could  see,"  she  said,  coming  to  his  side 
and  raising  her  clear  voice.  "  Did  I  not  see  him  lying  in  his 
rough  cofiin,  my  father,  Carlo  ?  And  when,  years  afterwards, 
I  wished  to  erect  a  cross  upon  his  grave,  did  I  not  have  to 
search  for  it  among  the  resting-places  of  the  nameless  dead  ? 

Even  the  one  who But  do  not  say  a  word  in  excuse 

of  such  miserable  neglect, — those  who  live  there  now  are  of 
the  same  race." 

The  signora's  cheeks  glowed,  her  dark  eyes  flashed:  she 
raised  her  right  hand  in  menace;  there  was  perhaps  some- 
thing theatric  in  her  air  and  manner,  but  they  were,  neverthe- 
less, full  of  grace  and  dignity.  Her  passionate  outbreak  did  not 
surprise  the  Professor,  who  well  knew  her  filial  reverence  for 
her  father's  memory,  and  who  had  often  heard  her  indulge  in 
similar  complaints.  She  usually,  however,  studiously  avoided 
mentioning  names,  and  he  thus  learned  now  for  the  first  time 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  57 

the  name  of  the  town  where  Carlo  Bellarota  had  ended  hia 
career.  Here,  then,  was  where  his  mother's  early  youth  had 
been  passed.  Had  the  Amberger  family  any  associations  with 
that  past  of  hers  ?  It  terrified  him  to  hear  her  utter  the  name 
of  Katrine's  father  or  grandfather. 

He  made  no  reply,  but  sat,  with  downcast  eyes,  sunk  in  his 
own  thoughts,  as  Camilla  walked  to  and  fro  in  an  agitated 
manner  in  the  apartment,  finally  seating  herself,  and  drinking 
her  glass  of  lemonade.  The  more  he  thought,  the  more  un- 
likely did  it  seem  to  him  that  her  aversion  to  the  place  spoken 
of  was  the  simple  result  of  the  unmerited  neglect  that  her 
father  had  experienced  there.  She  must  be  thinking  of  ex- 
periences of  her  own  ;  all  that  she  had  hitherto  carefully  con- 
cealed from  him  must  now  be  present  to  her  thoughts.  What 
was  it  ?  And  could  it  have  any  possible  influence  upon  his 
own  wishes  and  hopes  ? 

After  a  few  minutes  he  felt  her  hand  upon  his  arm.     "  Do 
not  go  there,"   she  said,   calmly  and  gently;  "give  up  this'' 
journey,  Xaver  !" 

He  bent  over  and  kissed  her  hand.  "  Carlo  Bellarota  sleeps 
as  peacefully  beneath  the  green  sod  as  under  a  marble  monu- 
ment," he  replied,  gravely.  "  His  best  memorial  is  in  his 
child's  heart.  Why,  you  yourself, — think  of  the  thousands 
whom  you  have  enchanted  by  your  voice !  And  do  you 
look  for  any  reward  from  them  ?  Must  I  hate  the  thankless 
public  that  has  forgotten  you  ?  The  tide^of  life  obliterates 
us  all.  Let  us  submit  with  composure." 

"  It  is  not  only  that,"  she  said,  as  if  speaking  to  herself  and 
not  for  his  ear, — "  it  is  not  only  that :  I  have  other  reasons 
for  wishing  you  not  to  go  near  that  place." 

"  And  these  other  reasons, — will  you  tell  me  what  they  are, 
mother  ?" 

She  compressed  her  lips,  and  thoughtfully  leaned  her  chin 
upon  her  hand.    "No,"  she  said,  at  last,  sternly;  "  no,  Xaver, 
c* 


58  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

I  vowed  I  would  be  silent,  and  I  will  be  silent.  You  never 
shall  learn  what  I  suffered  before  I  became  what  you  have 
always  known  me, — the  singer,  Camilla  Bellarota.  You  will 
not  love  your  mother  the  less,  I  hope  ?" 

He  gave  her  a  loving  smile.  "  You  know  me  well,"  he 
said.  "  I  have  always  respected  your  secret,  and  it  is  sacred 
to  me  now.  Let  me  ask  you  one  question  only,  mother,  and 
answer  it  with  a  simple  yes  or  no.  That  Amberger  of  whom 
you  spoke, — have  you  any  cause  of  complaint  against  him  or 
his  family  in  reference  to  your  affairs?" 

She  shook  her  head.  "  Neither  against  him  nor  against 
any  one  else." 

"  Then  I  shall  go  to-morrow,"  he  said,  rising.  "  I  too 
have  good  reasons  for  acting  as  I  do,  and  I  beg  you  to  trust 
me  without  any  explanation  on  my  part." 

Camilla  sighed  sadly,  but  made  no  farther  attempt  to  in- 
duce him  to  resign  his  purpose ;  she  seemed  convinced  that 
it  would  be  fruitless.  The  conversation  was  not  renewed  again, 
the  Professor  only  remarking,  as  he  took  his  leave,  "No  one 
will  suspect  Professor  Schonrade  of  being  the  son  of  the 
prima  donna  Camilla  Bellarota." 

"  No  one  there  would  know  the  singer  Camilla  Bellarota," 
she  said,  shaking  her  head,  as  she  dismissed  her  son  with  a  kiss. 

The  Professor  did  not  go  home  immediately.  The  day  had 
been  a  most  important  one,  marking  a  turning-point  in  his 
life.  Fair  as  the  road  which  he  had  hitherto  travelled  lay 
behind  him,  he  could  not  borrow  from  retrospect  any  cer- 
tainty as  to  the  path  upon  which  he  had  now  entered.  He 
knew  his  mother's  passionate  temperament,  and  that  she  often 
ascribed  undue  weight  to  unimportant  matters  when  they 
affected  her  personally ;  yet  he  could  not  but  feel  that  he  had 
just  stirred  within  her  memories  relating  to  the  gravest  and 
most  important  interests  of  her  life,  and,  perhaps,  of  his  own. 
For  the  first  time,  the  veil  in  which  she  had  so  carefully 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  59 

shrouded  the  ten  years  ensuing  upon  her  father's  death  irri- 
tated him.  During  that  time  he  had  been  born.  Now  he  no 
longer  belonged  solely  to  himself ;  others  would  have  a  right 
to  inquire  into  circumstances  and  antecedents  that  were  a  mys- 
tery to  him.  What  could  have  happened  ?  what  accidental 
discoveries  might  prove  obstacles  to  his  hopes  and  wishes  ? 
He  began  to  regret  that  he  had  not  made  his  mother  his  con- 
fidante. Perhaps  his  confidence  would  have  begotten  confi- 
dence on  her  part.  But  it  was  too  late  now :  affairs  must  take 
their  course. 


CHAPTER   V. 

EARLY  the.  next  morning  Schb'nrade  left  Berlin  upon  his 
proposed  expedition. 

The  nearer  he  drew  to  his  journey's  end,  the  more  restless  and 
uneasy  he  became ;  and  indeed  he  had  cause  for  wonderment 
in  the  changed  aspect  of  his  life  and  of  himself.  He  had 
reached  the  age  of  thirty  without  having  been  once  seriously 
attracted  by  any  woman  ;  he  had  been  given  over  entirely  to 
scientific  studies,  and  had  gradually  come  to  believe  that  men 
of  his  stamp  were  never  destined  to  be  bound  in  rosy  chains. 
And  suddenly  he  had  fallen  blindly  in  love,  like  some  boy  cf 
twenty,  with  a  charming  child  of  eighteen,  and  was  captive 
to  a  pair  of  beautiful  eyes,  to  masses  of  fair  hair,  and  to 
roguish  dimples  in  cheek  and  chin.  He  had  known  nothing 
but  that  she  enchanted  him, — he,  a  professor  who  had  writ- 
ten and  published  thick  books  upon  the  most  abstruse  subjects, 
and  who  believed  he  had  left  all  youthful  follies  far  behind 
him.  He  had  seemed  to  himself  older  than  he  really  was,  because 
he  had  achieved  results  that  usually  belong  to  older  years, 
and  because  so  many  of  his  colleagues  were  gray-haired  men  : 


60  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

but  he  had  suddenly  awakened  to  the  consciousness  that  he 
was  a  young  man,  with  the  best  right  in  the  world  to  be  only 
a  young  man ;  and  he  was  confused  and  dismayed  by  the  dis- 
covery. He  had  not  been  without  a  certain  self-esteem, — it 
certainly  was  not  vanity, — the  consequence  of  his  conscious- 
ness that  he  was  widely  known  and  valued.  But  his  latest 
triumph  had  been  achieved  entirely  without  the  assistance  of 
his  scientific  attainments,  nor  could  they  have  any  share  in 
making  this  triumph  a  practical  gain  to  him.  It  was  certainly 
embarrassing  to  present  himself  among  people  who  had  most 
probably  never  heard  either  of  him  or  of  his  investigations, 
and  from  whom  he  wished  to  demand  a  treasure  which  they 
had  carefully  guarded,  and  which  they  apparently  desired  to 
intrust  to  far  other  hands.  Like  Philip  Amberger,  he  looked 
constantly  out  of  the  window,  not  to  admire  the  country,  how- 
ever, but  to  divert  his  troubled  thoughts. 

He  laughed  to  himself  as  he  followed  on  foot  into  the  town 
the  porter  who  took  his  small  trunk  in  charge.  It  would 
hardly  have  been  thought  that  his  errand  was  the  wooing  of 
a  wealthy  merchant's  daughter. 

The  porter,  who  evidently  knew  not  what  to  make  of  him, 
asked,  "  To  what  hotel  ?"  and  received,  somewhat  to  his  as- 
tonishment, the  reply,  "  To  the  best,  of  course."  He  then 
turned  into  a  street  lined  with  stately  old  mansions,  "  Lange 
Strasse,"  as  the  signs  at  the  corners  proclaimed.  Towards  the 
middle  of  it  it  widened  to  a  little  market-place,  on  one  side 
of  which  stood  the  Rathhaus,  a  curious  old  building,  with  deep 
arcades  on  the  ground-floor,  irregular  gothic  windows,  and 
a  huge  pointed  roof.  A  fountain  built  of  piles  of  hewn  stones, 
surmounted  by  a  gigantic  Neptune,  was  but  scantily  supplied 
with  water ;  several  slender  streams  trickling  through  metal 
pipes,  peeping  out  here  and  there,  into  the  empty  basin.  The 
opposite  building,  also  very  ancient,  was,  as  the  porter  ex- 
plained, the  Arsenal.  But  there  were  no  longer  any  cannon 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  61 

there,  he  added,  as  in  "  olden  times ;"  the  lower  rooms 
were  occupied  as  a  market,  and  the  upper  story  as  a  museum. 
Not  far  beyond  this  little  square  a  large  building  of  modern 
construction  stood,  conspicuous  among  its  gabled  brethren, — 
the  "  Hotel  Europa,"  the  man  said,  "  and  the  best  in  the 
town,  mein  Herr." 

Again  our  Professor  laughed  to  himself,  as  he  refused  to 
be  directed  to  an  upper  story  by  the  host,  but  took  possession 
of  two  apartments  on  the  first  floor,  where  "  he  could  receive 
visits  without  a  blush,"  and  where  he  soon  completed  his 
toilette  standing  before  the  long  mirror  in  its  faded  gilt  frame. 
He  judged  it  best  to  proceed  immediately  to  pay  the  important 
visit  that  was  the  purpose  of  his  journey. 

He  was  conscious  of  a  kind  of  desperate  inclination  to  make 
a  jest  of  the  whole  affair,  and,  when  the  servant  came  in  answer 
to  his  bell,  gravely  asked  whether  he  did  not  look  like  a  mil- 
lionaire, enjoying  the  fellow's  embarrassed  glance  at  his  small 
trunk,  reposing  upon  the  stand  that  had  evidently  been  in- 
tended for  a  nobler  freight.  The  man  was  reassured,  how- 
ever, by  his  inquiry  as  to  where  the  Messrs.  Amberger  re- 
sided. "  The  Messrs.  Amberger  ?"  he  repeated,  with  a  bow, 
hurrying  to  the  window  and  opening  the  shutters  wide.  "  You 
cannot  possibly  miss  the  way,  sir.  If  you  will  kindly  look 
from  this  window, — that  is  the  way  to  their  house,  one  of 
the  oldest  in  the  town, — built  in  old  Hanseatic  times.  Very 
wealthy  they  are,  although " 

"  Although  ?" 

"  Oh,  the  Messrs.  Amberger  are  the  very  first  people  in  the 
place,  but  they  do  say  that  most  of  their  money  was  made 
by  old  Peter  Amberger,  grandfather  of  the  present  gentleman 
— and  a  very  different  man.  He  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
grain ;  he  built  many  storehouses,  and  supplied  quantities  of 
lading-vessels  for  foreign  traffic.  The  present  gentlemen  have 
nearly  entirely  given  up  that  business ;  they  are  bankers, — • 

6 


62  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Herr  Moritz  is,  I  mean,  for  Herr  Philip  Amberger  cares 
nothing  for  any  business,  and  Frau  Barbara  Amberger  doesn't 
count." 

"  "Why  doesn't  Frau  Barbara  count  ?" 

"  Oh,  so  they  say.  Yes,  whenever  she  is  mentioned,  they 
say,  '  She  doesn't  count,'  although " 

"Another  although?" 

"  She  is  stout  and  strong  enough, — it  would  not  be  easy  to 
thrust  her  aside, — when  she  drives  out  in  her  landau  she  takes 
up  all  the  back  seat." 

"And  the  house, — the  house,  my  good  fellow?" 

"  Oh,  yes.  You  go  up  the  'Lange  Strasse'  to  the  turn,  and 
then  to  the  left  through  the  Bremer  Grate,  and  you  will  see 
upon  the  hill  the  old  Cathedral  with  the  big  and  little  tower ; 
there,  just  by  the  hill,  is  the  Amberger  mansion." 

"  By  the  hill  ?  That  is  why  they  are  called  Ambergcr* 
then  ?" 

The  man  looked  completely  puzzled.  "  Oh,  'tis  their  family 
name,  sir." 

The  Professor  hurried  away  in  the  best  of  humours,  his 
courage  quite  restored. 

The  Amberger  mansion  had  not  escaped  restoration.  Plate- 
glass  windows  had  been  inserted  in  the  side  looking  towards 
the  street,  and  the  massive  old  stone  portico  had  been  provided 
with  a  flight  of  steps  far  too  ornamental  and  airy  for  its  solid 
proportions,  while  an  accumulation  of  scaffolding  and  ladders 
in  a  narrow  side-street  indicated  that  the  front,  weather- 
stained  and  gray  with  age,  was  to  be  renovated.  Schonrade 
was  no  great  enthusiast  for  architectural  antiquities,  but  as 
he  looked  up  at  the  venerable  building  he  shook  his  head  and 
muttered,  "  A  pity  !  a  pity  !" 

The  thought  occurred  to  him  that  Philip's  absence  was 

*  "  Am  Berge,"  the  German  for  "  by  the  hill." 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  63 

taken  advantage  of  in  a  way  that  would  not  prepare  for  him 
a  very  joyful  return.  As  he  ascended  the  steps,  he  learned 
by  the  signs  on  either  hand  that  the  Messrs.  Amberger  were 
agents  and  general  agents  for  all  sorts  of  insurance  companies 
and  grand  lotteries,  directors  also  of  a  steamboat  company,  and 
negotiators  of  bills  of  exchange. 

The  lower  story  of  the  house  seemed  to  be  entirely  ap- 
propria.ed  to  business  purposes.  Although  it  was  quite  late 
in  the  afternoon,  men  were  hurrying  hither  and  thither,  and 
the  chink  of  money  was  heard  uninterruptedly  from  the  rooms 
on  either  side  of  the  great  hall.  One  of  the  doors  standing 
open  revealed  a  long  row  of  desks,  at  which  clerks  were  busily 
writing. 

He  had  no  bills  to  exchange,  no  insurance  to  purchase. 
For  a  moment  he  thought  of  buying  a  lottery-ticket  that 
would  be  sure  to  win  if  his  love  were  unsuccessful ;  but  this 
was  but  a  grim  jest,  and  he  ascended  the  staircase  to  the  second 
story,  where  were  the  dwelling-rooms  of  the  family.  A  servant 
in  livery  took  his  card  from  him,  and,  ushering  him  into  a 
drawing-room,  assured  him  that  madame  would  receive  him 
immediately. 

Self-possessed  as  he  usually  was,  his  heart  beat  a  little  faster 
than  was  its  wont.  Everything  about  him  produced  the  im- 
pression of  solid  and  ancient  wealth, — the  English  carpets,  the 
heavy  curtains,  the  pictures  on  the  walls,  the  ponderous  chan- 
deliers, all  of  the  costliest  and  best.  "  You  are  no  better  than 
a  beggar  in  the  estimation  of  these  people,"  he  said  to  him. 
self  two  or  three  times. 

A  servant  drew  aside  the  portiere,  and  Frau  Barbara  Am- 
berger appeared  upon  the  threshold,  short  and  stout,  unmis- 
takably like  her  daughter,  although  not  so  much  of  a  blonde. 
Her  thick  black  silk  fitted  her  plump  figure  without  a  wrinkle, 
a  small  cap  of  fine  lace  rested  lightly  upon  her  gray  hair,  a 
heavy  gold  chain  was  passed  several  times  around  her  neck 


64  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

and  shoulders,  and  the  fingers  of  her  small  white  hands  were 
covered  with  rings.  She  cast  a  searching  glance  at  the  Pro- 
fessor, who  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  who 
involuntarily  bowed  unusually  low.  Perhaps  she  suspected  a 
commonplace  petitioner  in  him,  for  she  did  not  immediately 
ask  him  to  sit  down,  but  inquired,  with  an  air  of  cold  dignity, 
"  Is  your  business  with  me,  sir,  or  with  my  son  ?  In  the 
latter  case,  his  rooms  are  on  the  lower  story." 

"  I  have  requested  the  honour  of  an  interview  with  yourself, 
madame,"  he  answered,  advancing  a  step  and  bowing  again. 
"  I  arrived  only  an  hour  ago  from  Berlin,  and  hastened 
hither." 

This  threw  no  light  for  the  lady  of  the  mansion  upon  the 
object  of  his  coming.  She  scanned  him  afresh,  and  said, 
slowly,  "  Herr  Professor  Schonrade,  your  card  says,  I  believe." 

"  Professor  Schonrade,  madame.  I  must  pray  you  to  ex- 
cuse  " 

"  Not  at  all,  not  at  all,"  she  interrupted  him  ;  "  I  am  quite 
at  your  service.  Something  with  regard  to  lectures,  I  sup- 
pose. The  present  season,  to  be  sure " 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  making  any  such  demand  upon 
your  patience,  madame,"  he  observed,  with  a  smile  ;  "  but  pray 
accept  my  thanks  for  your  readiness  to  render  me  assistance, 
— an  assistance  of  which  I  stand  greatly  in  need  in  another 
direction;  and  in  the  first  place  let  me  give  you  the  latest 
news  from  your  daughter,  whose  acquaintance  I  have  had  the 
great  pleasure  of  making  at  Councillor  Wiesel's." 

"  Ah,  my  daughter  !  Indeed  ?"  exclaimed  Frau  Amberger, 
and  a  gleam  like  April  sunshine  passed  across  her  face.  "  But 
pray  sit  down,  Herr  Professor.  Oh,  yes,  yes, — at  Councillor 
Wiesel's.  Katrine  is  there  on  a  visit,  learning  something  of 
life  in  a  large  city.  My  son  has  had  business  relations  with 
that  house — a  very  solid  and  excellent  one — for  a  long  time, 
and  the  girls  became  acquainted  with  each  other  at  Wiesbaden 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  65 

last  summer.  At  their  age  friendships  ripen  fast.  Lilli,  to 
be  sure,  is  a  little  younger,  but  very  well  brought  up,  well 
taught,  perhaps  a  trifle  too  learned.  But  her  mother  likes 
that.  Were  you  her  tutor  ?" 

There  was  a  change  in  these  last  words  from  the  easy  con- 
versational tone  of  the  first  sentences,  and  they  were -accom- 
panied by  a  look  that  said  plainly  that  the  speaker  was  still 
puzzled  with  regard  to  her  visitor's  presence,  the  object  of 
which  she  should  be  glad  to  learn. 

The  Professor  understood  the  look  perfectly.  "  I  have 
never  occupied  a  position  as  tutor,  madame,"  he  said,  with  a 
gentle  shake  of  the  head,  "but  as  soon  as  the  doctorate  was 
accorded  to  my  rather  youthful  ambition,  I  betook  myself  to 
travel,  in  pursuance  of  the  practical  part  of  my  studies.  I 
then  gave  private  instruction  at  one  of  our  universities,  and 
a  year  ago  I  was  called  to  Berlin  to  occupy  the  chair  of  Pro- 
fessor of  Natural  Science." 

It  seemed  strange  enough  to  him  to  be  thus  declaring  his 
title  and  dignities  to  an  entire  stranger,  but  he  apprehended 
the  necessity  of  establishing  his  position  before  proceeding 
farther.  His  information  did  not  entirely  fail  to  produce  the 
desired  impression,  but  it  was  too  meagre  to  satisfy  Frau  Am- 
berger's  desire  for  enlightenment.  She  felt  that  she  must  still 
treat  him  with  a  certain  prudent  reserve,  the  needful  gauge  for 
his  importance  being  yet  wanting.  The  mention  of  his  travels 
was  some  satisfaction ;  no  one  could  travel  without  means  ;  he 
must  have  some  private  fortune.  This,  therefore,  was  the  topic 
to  pursue,  and  she  inquired  what  countries  he  had  visited. 

Schonrade  was  not  very  well  pleased  to  find  the  conversation 
thus  diverted  from  Katharina,  but  he  could  do  no  less  than 
f  >llow  Frau  Amberger's  lead.  "  I  have,  in  following  the  path 
of  sulphur,  madame,"  he  said,  "  devoted  myself  principally  to 
volcanic  regions.  The  most  remote  points  of  my  expeditious 
have  been  Iceland  and  Mexico.  My  work  upon  extinct  craters 

6* 


66  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

has  found  favour  with  men  of  science,  but  it  can  scarcely  recom- 
mend itself  as  a  favourite  in  a  lady's  drawing-room." 

Frau  Barbara  Amberger  cleared  her  throat  slightly,  "  dallied 
with  her  golden  chain,"  and  looked  up  at  him  in  some  embar- 
rassment. After  awhile  she  observed,  "  A  few  days  ago  I 
read  something  about  volcanoes  in  an  illustrated  magazine  5 
perhaps  you  wrote  that?  It  was  very  amusing." 

The  Professor  regretted  that  his  publications  could  scarcely 
be  called  amusing,  and  mentioned  that  he  had,  during  the  pre- 
vious winter,  given  a  short  course  of  popular  lectures  in  the 
circle  of  which  Frau  Wiesel  and  her  daughter  were  members. 

"  Then  I  was  not  entirely  wrong  in  regarding  you  as  Lilli's 
instructor,"  the  lady  declared,  with  a  self-satisfied  air. 

"  Oh,  I  assure  you  I  am  very  proud  of  my  lady  pupils,"  he 
replied,  gallantly. 

A  pause  ensued  in  the  conversation.  Frau  Amberger  had 
exhausted  her  inquiries,  and  seemed  to  think  that  the  visit  had 
lasted  long  enough.  The  Professor  was  pondering  the  con- 
tinuance of  his  campaign.  He  was  forced  to  admit  that  he 
had,  as  yet,  made  no  approach  to  the  fortress.  As  he  did  not 
rise  to  take  leave,  she  remarked,  in  a  meditative  tone,  "  It  is  a 
pity  that  my  son  Philip  is  not  at  home ;  he  is  thought  some- 
thing of  a  scholar,  and  he  could  have  shown  you  his  curious 
collections." 

Here  was  a  topic  of  mutual  interest.  Schonrade  told  of  his 
accidental  meeting  with  Philip  in  Florence,  and  was  listened 
to  with  interest. 

"  He  must  have  been  greatly  pleased  with  Florence,"  said 
his  mother.  "  He  stayed  there  several  weeks,  and  now  writes 
us  from  Rome  that  he  shall  go  no  farther  south,  but  probably 
return  thither  for  a  second  visit." 

The  Professor  smiled  diplomatically.  "  He  has  made  the 
acquaintance  in  Florence,"  he  observed,  "  of  a  young  person 
who  is  quite  an  authority  upon  those  matters  of  art  in  which 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  67 

he  is  so  much  interested,  but  whether  she  can  be  transported 
across  the  Alps,  like  one  of  his  favourite  Etruscan  vases,  is,  of 
course,  doubtful  as  yet." 

Either  she  did  not,  or  did  not  choose  to,  understand  his  jest. 
"  He  is  a  dear,  good  fellow,"  she  said,  "  but  entirely  spoiled  for 
business.  My  late  husband  might  have  yielded  to  his  wishes, 
and  allowed  him  to  study  as  he  pleased ;  he  will  hardly  be 
forced  to  play  the  schoolmaster  for  his  living." 

This  last  observation  so  plainly  indicated  her  own  point  of 
view,  that  her  guest  began  to  doubt  whether  he  should  be 
thought  quite  right  in  his  mind  if  he  touched  upon  his  own 
aspirations,  and  he  could  not  regret  that  the  visit  was  here 
interrupted  by  the  entrance  of  a  young  man  whom  he  rightly 
divined  to  be  the  chief  of  the  house  of  Amberger.  Frau 
Barbara  presented  the  two  men  to  each  other,  and  the  Pro- 
fessor rose  to  go. 

Moritz  was  very  unlike  his  brother  in  appearance.  He  had 
a  round,  smooth  face,  quick,  lively  eyes,  carefully-parted  hair, 
and  altogether  the  air  of  a  man  who  was  no  stranger  to  the 
joys  of  good  living.  He  held  a  little  riding-stick  in  one  hand, 
and  had  a  trick  of  inserting  the  thumb  of  the  other  in  the 
armhole  of  his  waistcoat  and  drumming  upon  his  chest  with 
his  fingers.  As  he  spoke,  there  was  now  and  then  a  slight 
contraction  of  his  left  eyelid,  which  seemed  to  say,  "  Listen, 
and  you  will  learn  something  worth  hearing."  Perhaps  this 
habit  had  been  acquired  in  his  counting-room  in  his  character 
of  man  of  business.  He  announced  that  he  had  taken  advan- 
tage of  the  fine  weather  to  arrange  an  expedition  for  the 
afternoon  with  the  Feinbergs.  He  and  Sidonie  were  to  ride 
with  a  couple  of  young  officers,  and  he  had  ordered  the  carnage 
for  Madame  Feinberg  and  her  husband  and  brother-in-law. 
But  if  Frau  Barbara,  as  he  hoped,  would  join  them,  Otto 
Feinberg  should  be  her  escort.  They  were  to  go  out  to 
Seehausen  and  take  supper.  Orders  had  been  sent  out,  and 


68  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

they  would  have  excellent  fish ;  the  wiiie  he  meant  to  supply 
from  his  own  cellar. 

"  I  am  surprised  to  hear  of  it  first  at  this  late  date,"  said 
his  mother,  with  some  pique.  "  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  of 
it  at  dinner?" 

He  kissed  her  hand.  "  Because  I  only  heard  of  it  myself  a 
little  while  ago.  This  morning  a  sail  in  our  new  boat  had  been 
decided  upon,  but  at  dinner  Sidonie  laid  a  wager  with  Herr 
von  Otten  that  her  mare  would  leap  like  a  bird  a  ditch  which 
his  brown  gelding  refused  yesterday,  and  it  must  be  decided. 
You  know  that  when  Sidonie  once  gets  an  idea  into  her 
head " 

She  sighed.  "  Yes,  yes,  she  often  gets  such  ideas  into  her 
head.  You  ought  to  get  them  out  again,  Moritz." 

He  looked  at  her  in  amazement.  "  I  ?"  he  asked,  and  it 
sounded  as  if  he  thought  himself  the  last  to  be  able  to  effect 
such  a  change.  His  mother  went  on,  without  heeding  his  ex- 
clamation, in  a  tone  of  disapproval :  "  What  a  wager !  Sidonie 
will  break  an  arm  or  a  leg  some  day  in  these  wild  rides  of  hers. 
And  then  to  race  with  an  officer  for  a  wager  !" 

"  I  shall  be  with  her,  mother,"  he  reminded  her. 

She  shook  her  head.  "  It  does  not  please  me.  I  saw  you 
from  the  window  the  other  day — you  rode  meekly  behind  her 
like  her  groom." 

"  Only  in  your  eyes,  mother,"  he  said,  tossing  his  head.  "It 
would  be  ridiculous  for  me  to  be  always  close  at  her  elbow. 
May  I  order  your  phaeton  ?  They  thought  it  odd  at  the  Fein- 
bergs'  the  other  day  that  you  so  often  pleaded  an  engage- 
ment." 

"  They  thought  it  odd  ?"  she  asked,  stiffly.  "  I  should  sup- 
pose that  Madame  Feinberg  knew "  Moritz  stopped  her 

by  a  glance  towards  their  guest. 

The  Professor  now  took  leave,  Moritz  having  taken  but  small 
notice  of  him,  seeming  quite  absorbed  by  the  proposed  expe- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  69 

dition.  Frau  Barbara  thanked  him  for  his  visit,  but  made  no 
inquiries  as  to  the  length  of  his  stay  in  town.  A  longer  delay 
was  impossible;  even  before  he  clearly  appreciated  that  he 
had  not  advanced  one  step  towards  his  aim,  he  found  himself 
descending  the  steps.  The  great  hall-door  was  closed  and 
secured  behind  him  with  iron  bolts ;  just  such  a  door  seemed 
to  close  between  himself  and  all  that  he  hoped  to  attain. 

As  he  walked  slowly  along  the  street,  he  had  never  seemed 
to  himself  so  stupid,  so  devoid  of  expedient.  Pie  would  have 
liked  to  take  the  next  train  for  Berlin,  but  how  could  he  face 
his  Katrine  ?  He  must  await  some  fortunate  chance  which 
might  bring  him  into  closer  association  with  her  family  ;  some- 
thing must  happen, — something  should  happen.  But  how  to 
dispose  of  his  time  until  the  next  day  in  this  strange  place, 
without  books  or  occupation  of  any  kind  ? 

The  assiduous  waiter  made  civil  inquiries  as  to  whether  he 
had  found  the  house,  and  it  suddenly  occurred  to  the  Professor 
to  ask,  why  he  knew  not,  how  far  it  was  to  Seehausen. 

"  About  a  mile,  or  a  mile  and  a  half,"  the  man  replied.  "  A 
delightful  road, — impossible  to  miss  it, — through  the  Kramer- 
gate  and  the  Neustadt  and  the  English  garden,  by  the  broad 
alley,  to  the  ferry  ;  then  along  the  right  side  of  the  river, 
through  a  fine  forest  of  firs,  to  a  small  lake.  Beyond  it  lies 
Castle  Seehausen,  belonging  to  one  of  our  princes, — he  comes 
there  to  hunt  now  and  then ;  to  the  left  is  the  mill,  and  the 
miller  keeps  the  inn ;  very  well  kept  it  is  too, — our  first 
people  patronize  it.  Shall  I  order  a  carriage  for  you,  sir?" 

"  Is  it  too  far  to  walk  ?" 

"No,  not  too  far,"  the  man  replied,  "but  it  is  more  con- 
venient  " 

A  sudden  thought  occurred  to  the  Professor.  "  Can  you  let 
me  have  a  riding-horse,  my  man  ?" 

"  A  riding-horse  ?  That,  sir,  you  will  find  at  the  livery- 
stable." 


70  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  Get  me  a  good  riding-horse,  and  you  shall  be  well  paid, 
— but  it  must  be  a  good  one,  remember,  and  at  the  door  in 
half  an  hour." 

The  man  looked  rather  puzzled,  but  bowed,  and  vanished 
obediently. 

Twenty  minutes  afterwards,  a  groom  was  walking  a  power- 
ful gray  horse  to  and  fro  before  the  door  of  the  hotel,  awaiting 
the  Professor's  pleasure. 

Schonrade  was  a  practised  rider, — his  seat  was  excellent,  his 
horsemanship  perfect,  and  as  he  rode  through  the  town  many 
a  passer-by  turned  to  look,  wondering  who  the  graceful  stranger 
might  be.  He  rode  by  the  Amberger  mansion,  and  said  to 
himself,  as  he  saw  a  phaeton  waiting  before  it,  "  Frau  Barbara 
is  going,  then."  After  a  rapid  trot  to  the  English  garden,  he 
let  his  horse  walk  slowly  along  the  shady  alley,  thinking  it 
likely  that  the  riding-party  would  overtake  him. 

And  so  it  turned  out.  In  a  few  moments  he  heard  behind 
him  the  noise  of  horses'  feet ;  he  did  not  turn  his  head,  but 
calmly  pursued  his  way,  and  soon  four  horses'  heads  appeared 
side  by  side.  Nearest  to  him  rode  an  officer,  then  a  young 
lady  in  a  blue  riding-habit,  then  another  officer,  and  lastly  a 
gentleman  in  civilian's  dress.  They  gradually  distanced  the 
Professor,  who  did  not  increase  his  horse's  speed,  and  in  passing 
each  honoured  him  with  a  scrutinizing  glance,  followed,  on  the 
part  of  the  gentleman  in  civilian's  dress,  by  a  slight  bow,  and 
a  lifting  of  his  hat.  Moritz  Amberger  recognized  him,  and 
apparently  thought  him  much  more  worthy  of  notice  on  horse- 
back than  as  a  guest  in  his  mother's  drawing-room.  Schon- 
rade could  see  that  the  others  addressed  some  inquiry  to  him, 
to  which  he  laughingly  replied.  A  hundred  steps  further  on, 
the  fair  rider  turned  her  head  and  inspected  both  steed  and 
horseman,  after  which  she  gave  her  mare  the  spur,  and  the 
gentlemen  followed  fast  behind  her. 

By  the  ferry  the  road  turned  aside  into  the  forest.    As  soon 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  71 

as  the  riders  were  hidden  by  the  trees,  Schonrade  permitted  his 
steed  more  liberty.  Through  the  winding  wood-path  he  rode, 
among  high  fir-trees  and  scanty  brushwood,  until  the  forest 
opened  upon  an  extensive  marshy  meadow  traversed  by  deep 
and  broad  draining-ditches.  The  principal  ditch  cut  the  road 
at  right  angles,  and  was  bridged  across.  Near  this  bridge,  in 
the  middle  of  the  meadow,  the  riders  had  halted.  Moritz 
Amberger's  horse  stood  parallel  with  the  bridge, — its  master 
was  evidently  to  enact  the  part  of  spectator.  One  of  the  offi- 
cers retreated  to  the  border  of  the  forest,  then,  turning,  rode 
back  and  put  his  horse  at  the  ditch,  but  it  refused  the  leap. 
The  other  officer  made  a  like  attempt,  with  equal  ill  success. 
At  this  moment  the  young  lady  observed  the  Professor,  and, 
seeming  to  think  it  a  favourable  time  for  displaying  her  prow- 
ess, gathered  up  her  bridle,  backed  her  mare,  whose  delicate 
hoofs  sank  deep  in  the  marshy  ground,  and  then  suddenly 
struck  her  sharply  with  the  whip  and  gave  utterance  to  the 
peculiar  cry  with  which  the  amazons  of  the  circus  encourage 
their  steeds.  The  mare  reared,  and  the  saddle-girth  snapped; 
then  she  planted  her  forefeet  upon  the  bank  of  the  ditch, 
evidently  not  liking  the  water,  and,  as  her  rider  continued  to 
ply  her  with  the  whip,  reared  again  wildly,  and  the  saddle 
began  to  turn.  The  fair  rider's  hat,  with  its  floating  blue 
veil,  threatened  to  fall  off  her  high  hair ;  she  put  up  her 
hand  to  keep  it  on,  and  lost  her  stirrup.  Fortunately,  she 
retained  sufficient  presence  of  mind  to  clasp  the  neck  of  her 
mare,  that  turned  and  rushed  wildly  through  the  meadow 
towards  a  recent  clearing,  thickly  strewn  with  stumps  half 
hidden  in  tall  ferns.  The  young  merchant  and  the  two  officers 
galloped  after  her,  but  their  pursuit  only  terrified  still  more 
the  already  frightened  animal. 

Schonrade  appreciated  the  danger  instantly,  and  lost  no  time 
in  averting  it.  He  motioned  to  her  pursuers  to  fall  back,  and, 
directing  his  course  to  that  part  of  the  field  whither  the  mare 


7£  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

was  rushing,  met  her  there,  rode  neck  and  neck  with  her  for 
a  few  minutes,  during  which  time  he  gathered  up  the  hang- 
ing bridle,  and  successfully  assisted  the  rider  to  regain  her  seat, 
and  to  soothe  her  mare,  who  was  soon  reduced  to  order  and 
brought  to  a  pause. 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,"  said  Sidonie,  arranging  her  hat  upon 
her  dishevelled  locks,  with  aifected  composure.  "  There  was 
no  danger,  indeed,  but  the  situation  might  have  become — dis- 
agreeable, and — I  thank  you."  Then  she  patted  her  mare's 
neck,  and  regarded  the  Professor  with  a  look  that  was  half 
curiosity,  half  approval.  "  I  still  insist  that  my  mare  can 
easily  take  the  ditch,"  she  continued,  "  but  the  other  horses 
refused  it,  and  a  bad  example  is  catching.  But  you  know 
nothing  of  our  wager.  Here  comes  Herr  von  Otten  most 
gallantly.  Do  not  exult  too  soon,  Herr  von  Otten,  you  are 
not  yet  out  of  the  woods.  You  shall  see  with  your  own  eyes 
that  I  am  right." 

Moritz  Amberger  held  out  his  hand  to  her.  "  Thank  God,1' 
he  said,  "  you  are  safe  !  I  was  in  terror  for  you.  You  never 
ought  to " 

She  laughed  loudly.  "  What  was  there  to  be  afraid  of? 
The  mare  would  soon  have  come  to  her  senses,  and  if  the 
worst  had  come  to  the  worst  1  could  have  thrown  myself  off. 
It  is  all  the  fault  of  my  groom,  who  did  not.  see  to  her  girth 
carefully  enough.  I  think  it  can  yet  be  made  all  right." 
She  turned  and  beckoned  to  a  man  who  was  tending  some 
cattle  on  the  border  of  the  forest. 

Meanwhile,  Schonrade  had  made  acquaintance  with  the 
officers.  The  second  was  presented  to  him  as  a  Herr  von 
Oschersdorf.  He  declared  that  the  livery-stable  Almansor 
was  hardly  to  be  recognized  under  his  present  rider.  "  Why, 
really,"  exclaimed  Herr  von  Otten,  slightly  through  his  nose, 
"  I  did  not  know  him  at  all.  He  is  still  a  fine  creature. 
Where  in  the  world  did  you  get  such  an  excellent  seat?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  73 

Schbnrade's  face  was  perfectly  impassive.  "  I  have  ridden 
a  great  deal  in  Mexico,"  he  quietly  remarked,  "  where  one 
does  not  hire  horses  from  a  livery-stable."  Involuntarily  the 
hands  of  the  two  officers  sought  their  caps,  as  if  for  a  mili- 
tary salute,  and  Amberger  regarded  his  new  acquaintance  with 
more  respect. 

In  the  mean  time  the  herdsman  had  approached,  and  by 
Sidonie's  directions,  which  she  gave  without  getting  off  her 
mare,  the  girth  was  arranged  so  as  to  serve  its  purpose  for 
the  present.  While  he  was  busy  with  it,  she  talked  with 
the  gentlemen,  perfectly  at  her  ease,  accepting  and  lighting  a 
cigarette  which  Herr  von  Otten  offered  her. 

"All  the  women  smoke  in  Mexico,  I  believe?"  she  said, 
addressing  herself  to  Schijnrade. 

"  The  bad  practice  of  smoking  is  almost  universal  there," 
he  replied. 

"  But  you  smoke  yourself,  Herr  Professor,"  she  remarked, 
in  some  surprise  at  his  temerity. 

"  That  gives  me  the  right  to  criticise  the  habit,"  he  rejoined, 
courteously. 

The  herdsman's  task  was  ended.  Sidonie  threw  him  a  piece 
qf  money,  and  turned  her  mare  off  to  the  meadow  again. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  Sidonie  ?"  Amberger  ex- 
claimed. 

"To  try  the  ditch  again,  of  course,"  she  replied,  with  great 
composure.  He  rode  up  to  her  and  whispered  a  few  words  in 
her  ear.  "  Don't  trouble  yourself,"  she  replied,  aloud.  "  I 
know  perfectly  well  what  to  do,  and  what  not  to  do." 

"  But,  Sidonie,  I  pray " 

She  gave  her  mare  the  spur.  "  Better  not  pray  at  all, 
Moritz ;  my  mind  is  made  up.  There  is  the  bridge,  built  on 
purpose  for  those  who  are  afraid  to  leap  the  ditch." 

"  Give  it  up,  Fraulein  Sidonie!  give  it  up!"  both  the  offi- 
cers called  out  to  her ;  "  the  bank  on  either  side  of  the  ditch  is 
D  7 


74  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

too  soft."  She  paid  them  no  heed,  but  continued  to  urge  on 
her  mare,  who  tossed  her  head  wildly  at  every  fresh  stroke  of 
the  whip. 

"  Your  horses  are  both  young,  gentlemen,"  observed  the 
Professor,  following  the  lady ;  "  you  can.  do  nothing  by  at- 
tempting to  force  them.  They  break,  and  refuse  the  ditch 
because  they  are  unaccustomed  to  leaping,  but  they  will  readily 
follow  when  they  see  there  is  no  danger.  My  respectable  Al- 
mansor,  although  he  is  no  longer  one  of  the  strongest  upon 
his  forefeet,  will  make  a  very  fair  bell-wether.  Let  them  fol- 
low him  :  there  is  not  the  slightest  danger."  As  he  spoke  the 
words  he  passed  Sidonie,  touched  his  horse  lightly  with  the 
spur,  and  cleared  the  ditch  with  perfect  ease.  Sidonie  fol- 
lowed close  upon  his  heels,  and  the  two  officers  immediately 
after  her.  Amberger's  steed  still  refused  to  leap,  and  he 
crossed  by  the  bridge,  whereat  his  betrothed  railed  loudly. 

"  Herr  von  Otten  admits  that  I  have  won  my  wager,"  she 
added.  "  It  would  as  certainly  have  been  won  if  the  Herr 
Professor  had  waited  a  moment  longer ;  do  you  not  think  so, 
gentlemen  ?' '  What  could  the  gentlemen  do  but  assent  eagerly  ? 
Amberger  was  vexed  at  his  failure,  and  declared  that  he  should 
sell  his  horse  and  buy  an  animal  that  could  be  trusted. 

"  I'll  lay  another  wager,  Moritz,"  Sidonie  called  out  to  him, 
"  that  if  you  change  horses  with  the  Herr  Professor  you  will 
immediately  find  out  that  Almansor  is  too  weak  in  the  knees 
to  make  that  leap,  but  that  your  horse  can  take  it  easily. 
Every  horse  has  as  much  courage  as  its  rider,  and  no  more." 

The  young  merchant  showed  no  inclination  to  accept  this 
wager.  "  Rather  a  bold  assertion,"  he  muttered,  in  a  tone  of 
irritation,  and  then  fell  silent.  When,  soon  after,  the  equip- 
ages arrived,  he  devoted  himself  to  Madame  Feinberg,  who 
appeared  en  grande  toilette  beside  her  husband,  a  little  man 
almost  buried  in  a  huge  coat. 

Naturally  enough,  Professor  Schb'urade  was  one  of  the  party. 


THE    GREEN  GATE.  75 

Sidonie,  in  especial,  appeared  to  take  great  pleasure  in  his 
society,  retaining  him  by  her  side,  keeping  up  a  steady  con- 
versation with  him,  and  asking  him  all  sorts  of  questions  with 
regard  to  himself.  The  officers  hovered  around  her,  being 
only  now  and  then  allowed  to  pick  up  some  crumb  of  her 
favour.  Of  her  betrothed  she  took  not  the  slightest  notice. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  mill,  romantically  situated  by  the 
lake,  Moritz  dismounted  and  helped  the  ladies  to  descend  from 
their  vehicles.  Madame  Feinberg  and  Frau  Barbara  Amberger 
greeted  each  other  with  great  formality.  Ilerr  Ignaz  Fein-- 
berg, small,  round-shouldered,  with  a  sly  face,  little  twinkling 
gray  eyes,  and  a  wide,  thin-lipped  mouth,  walked  to  and  fro, 
with  his  hands  in  his  coat-pockets.  Otto  Feinberg  offered  his 
arm  to  Frau  Amberger,  and  conducted  her  to  a  seat  by  a  table 
beneath  a  huge  linden-tree.  She  greeted  the  Professor  after 
her  own  measured  fashion,  manifesting  no  surprise  at  finding 
him  one  of  the  party. 

The  fat  miller,  who  was  also  inn-keeper  at  Seehausen, 
showed  great  respect  for  his  guests.  He  was  all  servility  and 
desire  to  please.  Several  bottles  of  wine  were  produced  from 
the  boxes  of  the  carriages,  and  ice  was  required  to  cool  them. 
It  was  brought  in  a  bucket,  the  host  kmenting  the  while  that, 
although  he  had  ordered  a  wine-cooler  some  months  previously, 
it  had  not  yet  arrived.  "  No  matter,"  cried  Herr  von  Otten, 
"  rustic  fashions  are  good  fashions.  Eh,  madame  ?" 

Madame  Feinberg,  to  whom  his  remark  was  addressed,  an 
elderly  lady  with  remarkably  fine  teeth,  tossed  back  over  her 
shoulder  the  curl  that  hung  from  her  huge  chignon,  and 
remarked,  in  a  soft,  lisping  tone,  "  I  do  indeed  love  pure  un- 
adulterated nature."  Frau  Amberger  smiled  to  herself, — she 
had  already  taken  her  knitting  out  of  a  pretty  little  work- 
basket,  and  to  Herr  von  Oschersdorf  :s  sprightly  entreaty  that 
this  "divine  evening  might  not  be  profaned  by  labour,"  simply 
replied  that  she  "  greatly  disliked  being  idle." 


76  THE   GHEEN  GATE. 

Moritz  Amberger,  who  seemed  to  have  forgotten  his  irrita- 
tion, and  to  wish  to  make  others  forget  it,  paid  great  attention  to 
his  betrothed,  without  eliciting  from  her  much  notice  in  return. 
She  had  thrown  herself  negligently  into  an  arm-chair,  in  which 
some  carriage-cushions  had  first  been  placed,  and  now  drank 
glass  after  glass  of  wine,  jesting  meanwhile  with  the  two  offi- 
cers, whose  replies  were  not  always  of  the  choicest.  It  seemed 
to  annoy  her  that  the  Professor  confined  his  attentions  to  Fran 
Amberger  and  paid  not  the  slightest  homage  to  herself;  she 
mingled  in  the  conversation  whenever  she  could,  and  tried  to 
attract  his  notice.  Frau  Feinberg  regarded  her  daughter  with 
great  admiration  across  the  table,  now  and  then  exclaiming 
to  Herr  von  Otto,  behind  her  hand,  but  quite  audibly,  "  Isn't 
she  charming?  Isn't  she  lovely  and  brilliant  to-day  ?"  He 
was  lavish  in  his  praises ;  but  Frau  Amberger,  to  whom  her 
remarks  were  addressed  on  her  other  side,  did  not  assent  so 
enthusiastically,  but  gravely  continued  to  knit.  Herr  Ignaz 
Feinberg  found  the  evening  to  be  growing  much  cooler, 
and  the  air  from  the  lake  almost  too  fresh,  in  view  of  which 
he  had  his  paletot  brought  him  from  the  carriage.  In  one  of 
its  pockets  he  found  a  newspaper,  and  he  was  soon  buried  in 
the  prices  of  stocks. 

The  sun  was  setting.  Part  of  the  forest  was  in  shadow, 
but  the  red  roof  and  the  high  white  chimneys  of  Castle  Sce- 
hausen  glowed  in  the  parting  light.  Schbnrade  called  attention 
to  the  beautiful  sight.  "  Ah,  heavens,  what  nature  !"  cried 
Frau  Feinberg,  with  enthusiasm,  waving  her  hand  in  its  straw- 
colored  glove  towards  the  horizon.  Her  husband's  eyes  never 
left  his  paper.  Herr  von  Oschersdorf  obligingly  thought  the 
sky,  and  particularly  the  "  ensemble,"  magnificent,  while  Herr 
von  Otten  emptied  a  glass  to  the  departing  sun,  with  a  wish 
that  "  no  sadder  tear  might  fall  upon  its  disappearance." 

Sidonie  suddenly  grew  sentimental.  "  When  the  last  sun- 
Bet  comes "  she  sighed. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  77 

1  You  have  no  cause  for  any  foreboding,  Fraulein  Sidonie," 
th-j  Professor  reassured  her.  "As  long  as  our  earth  turns 
upon  its  axis  we  shall  enjoy  our  beautiful  sunrises  and  sunsets, 
— the  sunsets  at  least,  for  I  fear  that  few  of  this  honourable 
company  appreciate  the  beauty  of  a  sunrise." 

Sidonie  leaned  her  head  upon  her  hand  and  looked  with  an 
air  of  melancholy  at  the  speaker.  "  You  jest,"  she  said  ;  "but 
why  should  not  all  this  splendour  fall  to  decay  in  a  single 
tight?  Would  it  be  an  impossibility?" 

"  Oh,  not  at  all,"  Schbnrade  rejoined,  with  great  gravity. 
'•  May  not  this  earth  be  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  huge 
bombshell  filled  with  all  sorts  of  stones  and  having  a  mine  of  ful- 
minating matter  in  its  centre  ?  The  volcanoes  may  be  nothing 
more  than  the  fuse,  as  Herr  von  Oschersdorf  can  explain 
to  you  far  better  than  I, — they  are  filled  with  combustible 
material,  *\nd  their  fire  is  fanned  by  the  outer  air.  Let  it 
once  communicate  with  the  centre,  and  instead  of  our  beau- 
tiful earth  a  hundred  little  planets  will  go  careering  around 
the  sun,  to  the  wonder  of  astronomers  in  Jupiter." 

"  Don't  joke  so  horribly,"  said  Madame  Feinberg.  "  All 
that  would  be  so  very  unnatural." 

Sidonie  arose,  and  observed,  with  great  unction,  "  This  hour, 
at  least,  is  ours  to  enjoy !"  She  walked  to  the  shore  of  the  lake 
and  untied  the  miller's  boat  from  its  mooring.  The  gentlemen 
looked  after  her  curiously,  and  immediately  followed  her. 

She  would  probably  have  been  allowed  to  do  as  she  pleased 
had  not  just  at  this  moment  the  inn-door  opened  and  various 
servants  appeared  bearing  smoking  dishes, — the  preparations 
for  a  good  supper  being  at  length  completed.  Moritz  Ambcr- 
ger  remonstrated  with  her.  "  Do  you  wish  to  go  upon  the  lake 
now,  Sidonie?"  he  asked.  "  The  air  is  quite  cool,  and  the  mists 
are  rising.  You  have  no  shawl.  Do  not  leave  the  party  thus." 

She  drew  the.  boat  by  its  loosened  chain  up  on  the  sandy 
shore.  "  I  do  not  require  that  you  should  accompany  me," 

7* 


78  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

she  replied,  composedly ;  "  do  not  come  if  you  dislike  the 
mists,  which  are  the  chief  charm  to  me  of  a  sail  in  the  cool 
twilight.  My  nature  craves  such  refreshment,  but  that  im- 
poses no  obligations  upon  you." 

Moritz  went  up  to  her  side  and  tried  to  take  the  chain  from 
her,  saying,  in  a  low  tone,  "  You  know  how  my  mother  dis- 
approves of  such  extravagances.  Pay  her,  I  beg  of  you,  the 
respect  I  have  a  right " 

"  Do  not  spoil  the  evening  for  me,  Moritz,"  she  interrupted 
him,  as,  laying  her  hand  on  his  shoulder,  she  sprang  into  the 
boat. 

"  But,  Friiulein  Sidonie,"  exclaimed  Herr  von  Otten,  with 
a  degree  of  excitement  that  was  comical,  "  I  pray  you  look, — 
see  what  a  splendid  fish  they  have  just  put  upon  the  table  !" 

"  And  Herr  Otto  Feinberg  says  there  is  a  wonderfully  fine 
dish  of  asparagus  to  come,"  added  Herr  von  Oschersdorf ; 
"  magnifique,  he  tells  me."  He  smacked  his  lips.  "  Can  we 
leave  all  these  delights  to  row  about  the  lake  in  that  gray 
mist,  while  the  dishes  grow  cold  and  the  wine  grows  warm  ? 
Another  time,  another  time,  Friiulein  Sidonie." 

Sidonie  took  up  an  oar  and  leaned  upon  it.  "  What  is  to 
hinder  you,  gentlemen,"  she  called  out  to  them,  "from  re- 
signing yourselves  entirely  to  the  pleasures  of  the  table  ?  I 
propose  for  once  to  live  upon  air.  Herr  Professor,  is  your 
nature  so  gross  that  you  prefer  fish  and  asparagus  to  a  lovely 
row  on  the  lake?  Pray  do  it  no  violence  on  my  account." 
She  prepared  to  push  off  from  the  shore,  but  did  not  imme- 
diately succeed  in  doing  so. 

"  I  am  the  only  unaccredited  guest  at  that  Lucullan  ban- 
quet," said  Schonrade,  "  and  I  have  not  yet  ordered  my  own 
supper." 

"Oh,"  Moritz  Amberger  interrupted  him,  "surely  you 
cannot  need  a  formal  invitation  ?  Of  course  you  are  our 
guest." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  79 

"A  little  exercise,  then,  will  season  the  feast,''  said  the 
Professor,  offering  him  his  hand.  "  Return  to  the  table ;  I 
will  bring  you  back  your  lady  fair  safe  and  sound.  We  can- 
not let  her  go  entirely  alone,"  he  added,  in  a  low  tone. 

Amberger  hesitated.  "  I  am  willing  to  go,"  he  muttered  ; 
but  the  Professor  was  already  in  the  boat,  and  had  pushed 
off  from  the  shore. 

'  Pray  hand  me  the  oar,  Friiulein  Feinberg,"  he  said,  hold- 
ing out  his  hand  for  it. 

"  No,  no !  I  will  row  myself,"  she  exclaimed ;  "  it  is  my 
great  delight.  I  thank  you  for  coming  with  me.  Pray  be 
quite  at  your  ease, — light  a  cigar,  and  take  no  trouble.  Is  it 
not  an  entertaining  change  to  be  rowed  about  by  a  lady,  instead 
of  having  to  play  the  courtier?  Thank  Heaven,  neither  Herr 
von  Otten  nor  Von  Oschersdorf  came :  they  would  have  made 
such  a  fuss  aboiit  having  the  oars, — very  likely  nearly  capsized 
the  boat.  There  would  have  been  no  danger  for  me,  however : 
I  swim  very  well." 

"  You  swim,  too  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes.  I  am  an  only  child,  and  have  been  allowed  to 
learn  everything  I  wished  to.  Where  shall  we  row  ?" 

"  Towards  the  middle  of  the  lake,  I  think,  so  that  they  may 
keep  us  in  view  from  beneath  the  linden." 

"  For  that  very  reason  I  should  prefer  to  sail  behind  that 
projecting  cape  of  forest.  I  do  not  like  to  be  observed." 

"  But  Herr  Amberger  will  be  anxious  about  you." 

"  Oh, — Moritz  ?  He  must  learn  to  accustom  himself  to  that, 
or  we  shall  never  get  along  together." 

Schonrade  perfectly  agreed  with  her,  but,  of  course,  made 
no  reply. 

He  leaned  over  the  side  of  the  boat  and  let  his  hand  dip 
into  the  water,  making  a  little  furrow  in  its  mirror-like  surface. 
Sidonie  rested  upon  her  oars  and  looked  at  him. 

"  Is  there  a  moon  to-night?"  she  asked. 


80  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

"  Too  late  for  us  to  see  it,  Friiulein  Feinberg." 

"Why?" 

"  If  I  do  not  mistake,  it  does  not  rise  before  eleven." 

"  Let  the  rest  go  home  without  us ;  we  can  find  the  way  to 
town  alone." 

The  words  were  quietly  spoken,  but  they  startled  Schonrade. 
He  could  not  regard  them  as  the  na'ive  remark  of  a  young  girl 
ready  to  rave  about  moonlight,  and  careless  of  propriety.  He 
already  suspected  her  sentimentality.  "  You  are  floating  in- 
shore, Fraulein  Feinberg,"  he  said,  grasping  a  handful  of 
rushes. 

She  looked  hastily  over  her  shoulder.  "  True !"  she  ex- 
claimed. "  I  kept  too  much  to  the  right." 

One  or  two  vigorous  strokes  of  her  oar  brought  the  light 
skiff  into  clear  water  again.  The  wooded  point  lay  just  before 
them,  the  trees  rising  as  it  were  out  of  their  mirrored  present- 
ments in  the  clear  lake,  and  sharply  defined  against  the  crimson- 
and-yellow  horizon.  A  cricket  chirped  faintly,  and  the  croak 
of  a  distant  frog  came  from  the  depths  of  the  forest.  Sidonie 
rowed  around  the  point ;  the  mill  and  the  spreading  linden 
vanished :  the  castle  alone  was  visible  on  the  left,  shrouded 
in  mist.  The  lake  expanded,  and  was  bounded  in  the  distance 
by  a  flat  meadow,  above  which  blue  ghost-like  vapours  were 
hovering.  Large-leaved  water-plants  floated  upon  the  water, 
lifted  dripping  now  and  then  upon  their  long  stems  by  the 
stroke  of  the  oar.  Yellow  water-lilies  waved  to  and  fro  in  the 
furrow  left  in  the  wake  of  the  boat.  Profound  peace  reigned 
everywhere  in  nature ;  it  was  an  evening  to  awaken  memories 
of  the  happiest  hours  of  one's  life. 

The  Professor  gazed  down  upon  his  hand,  still  idly  toying 
with  the  water.  "  What  are  you  thinking  of  so  earnestly  ?" 
asked  Sidonie.  He  was  thinking  of  Katrine,  but  he  did  not 
say  so. 

Sidonie  urged  the  boat  under  the  drooping  boughs  of  the 


THE   CREEN   GATE.  81 

overhanging  trees,  and  then,  letting  it  drift  whither  it  would 
rested  upon  her  oars,  leaning  her  head  upon  her  hand.  "What 
do  you  think  of  those  people  ?"  she  asked,  after  awhile. 

"  What  people,  Friiulein  Feinberg?" 

"  Oh,  those  people  ! — my  father,  my  mother,  my  betrothed, 
my  future  mother-in-law,  my  uncle,  my  aunt, — no,  my  aunt 
is  not  with  us  to-day, — but  those  two  Von — what  d'ye- 
call-em's  ?" 

He  laughed.  "You  surely  cannot  expect  an  answer?"  he 
said,  throwing  away  his  cigar. 

"  No  answer  is  an  answer,"  she  replied,  in  a  low  tone,  as  if 
half  to  herself,  "  as  when  just  now  I  asked  you  of  what  you 
were  thinking." 

"  I  think  them  all  very  amiable,"  he  said,  evasively,  dis- 
agreeably impressed  by  her  tone  and  manner. 

"  Of  course,"  she  rejoined,  "  very  amiable.  But,  constituted 
as  you  are,  you  could  live  an  eternity  with  them  without  being 
attracted  by  them.  Am  I  not  right  ?" 

"  I  have  so  slight  an  acquaintance  with  them." 

"  My  father  is  a  man  of  wealth,  which  he  began  to  accu- 
mulate by  stopping  the  peasants  as  they  passed  his  door  and 
buying  their  grain  of  them  before  they  took -it  to  market. 
My  mother  takes  four  '  Journaux  des  Modes,'  and  is  always  a 
day  in  advance  of  Paris.  My  mamma-in-law  plays  the  part 
of  a  worthy  patrician  dame  excellently  well ;  she  does  not 
consider  me  her  equal  by  birth,  and  expects  me  to  regard  her 
son  Moritz's  choice  of  me  for  a  wife  as  a  great  honour.  Uncle 
Otto  is  a  thorough  merchant ;  he  foresees  every  variation  in  the 
stock-market,  and  when  stocks  fall  he  would  see  his  best  friend 
ruined  without  lifting  a  finger  to  help  him.  Moritz 

"  Pray  tell  me,  Friiulein  Feinberg,  how  I  have  deserved 
such  confidence  on  your  part,"  Schonrade  here  hastily  inter- 
rupted her,  excessively  annoyed  at  the  turn  the  conversation 
had  taken. 
D* 


82  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

"  Moritz  is  a  good  fellow,"  she  continued,  without  heeding 
his  words,  "  but  I  am  not  sure  that  good  fellows  wear  very 
well  as  companions  for  life " 

"  He  is  your  betrothed " 

"  True,  that  happens  to  be  so.  But  it  might  happen  to 
be  otherwise :  it  all  depends  upon  me, — upon  what  might  be 
called  my  whim.  Very  sad,  is  it  not,  that  so  much  should 
depend  upon  a  girl's  whim?  I  should  like  not  to  be  mis- 
understood by  you.  Sometimes  I  would  claim  the  right  not 
to  be  judged  by  their  standard.  Do  you  think  this  pre- 
sumption ?" 

"  Fraulein  Feinberg " 

"  Be  honest.  I  can  bear  blame  if  it  comes  from  a  strong, 
upright  nature.  Our  acquaintance,  it  is  true,  is  but  a  few 
hours  old " 

"  That  is  unquestionably  true." 

"  But  I  am  surely  not  mistaken  in  you.  You  are  a  man ! 
I  recognized  in  the  first  moment  that  I  saw  you " 

He  leaned  over,  took  up  the  oars,  and  urged  the  boat  away 
from  the  trees  out  into  the  open  lake.  Sidonie  laid  her  hand 
upon  his  and  prevented  his  making  another  stroke.  "  Oh, 
don't !"  she  said  ;  "  it  destroys  the  entire  illusion.  It  is  as 
if  you  wished  to  drown  my  words  with  the  noise  of  your  oars. 
Are  you  too  proud  to  hear  praise,  that  is  indeed  no  flattery, 
from  the  lips  of  a  young  girl  ?" 

"  Neither  flattery  nor  praise,"  he  said,  gravely ;  "  on  the 
contrary,  I  consider  it  an  insult  to  call. a  man  manly  or  a 
woman  feminine." 

Sidonie  seemed  to  feel  the  sting  his  words  were  meant  to 
convey.  She  drew  back  her  hand,  and  was  silent  for  awhile  ; 
then  she  said,  speaking  slowly  and  without  manifesting  any 
irritation,  "  And  yet  we  poor  creatures  must  either  expose  our- 
selves to  the  blame  of  being  unfeminiue  or  die  of  ennui." 

"You  exaggerate  !"  he  exclaimed. 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  83 

She  shook  her  head  decidedly.  "  I  do  not  exaggerate.  The 
ideal  woman  is  best  developed  in  the  hard  school  of  necessity, 
in  sordid  circumstances,  in  the  grasp  of  an  iron  will.  The 
virtue  most  highly  prized  in  her  is  entire  submission.  But 
now  suppose  a  life  fostered  in  luxury  from  earliest  childhood, 
a  want  of  all  stern  training,  a  longing  for  freedom,  a  feeling 
of  self-reliance,  and  a  need  of  a  field  of  action  ;  then  consider 
the  pitiable  inferiority  of  those  who  claim  a  right  to  rule  that 
life,  and  what  choice  is  left  save  a  slavish  submission  to  what 
is  despised,  or  a  defiant  breaking  asunder  of  the  trammels  that 
would  bar  approach  to  all  for  which  there  is  a  true  affinity  ?" 

"  What  that  is  the  whim  of  the  hour  must  decide,"  ho 
interpolated. 

"  Not  when  it  really  attracts." 

"  And  when  does  it  really  attract?" 

"  When  it  fetters  us." 

"  Nothing  is  capable  of  always  fettering  a  human  being, 
save  duty.  Every  pleasure  palls." 

"  The  right  to  be  happy  is  born  with  us." 

"  That  requires  proof,  but  it  may  be  so.  The  duty  to  make 
others  happy  is  none  the  less  born  with  us." 

"  We  can  only  make  those  happy  who  choose  that  we  should 
make  them  so." 

"  Or  rather,  who  possess  the  capacity  to  be  made  happy 
by  us." 

"  Then  mistakes  are  unavoidable  ?" 

"  Most  assuredly,  Fraulein  Feinberg." 

"  And  when  discovered  to  be  such,  what  remains  for  us  ? 
Resignation  ?" 

"  For  gentle  natures." 

"  Or  repentance  ?" 

"  For  religious  temperaments." 

"  And  if  one's  nature  is  not  gentle,  nor  one's  temperament 
religious — what  then  ?" 


84  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Schi5nrade  continued  to  row  gently.  "  I  am  no  doctor  of 
souls,  Fraulein  Feinberg,"  he  said,  evasively ;  "  and — appar- 
ently you  are  not  in  need  of  any  such." 

She  sighed.  "  Let  me  assist  your  Professorship.  There 
then  remains  for  us — life.  It  is  ours  with  all  its  needs  and  im- 
perfections, and  also  with  all  its  chance  delights  and  pleasures." 

"  And  we  can  play  with  it  until  we  shatter  it,"  he  concluded. 

A  loud  halloo  resounded  from  the  shore.  The  boat  had 
been  seen  and  hailed  by  the  gentlemen.  Schonrade  rowed 
hastily  towards  them,  without  any  opposition  from  Sidonie. 
She  sat  leaning  her  head  upon  her  hand,  gazing  into  the 
thickening  mist,  through  which  the  outlines  of  the  wooded 
points  showed  like  the  landscape  of  a  dream.  As  she  left 
the  boat,  she  took  the  Professor's  hand  and  lightly  pressed  it, 
as  if  by  way  of  thanks.  To  the  many  inquiries  of  the  two 
officers,  her  replies,  when  she  answered  at  all,  were  short  and 
monosyllabic. 

Frau  Barbara  Amberger  had  already  driven  home  :  she  had 
entirely  disapproved  of  the  row  on  the  lake.  This  had  annoyed 
Moritz  at  first,  but  his  easy  good  humour  soon  asserted  itself. 
He  was  rather  relieved  by  the  absence  of  his  mother,  who,  he 
well  knew,  regarded  with  no  favour  his  relations  with  Sidonie, 
and,  indeed,  his  entire  connection  with  the  Feinbergs.  He 
had  long  ago  given  up  all  attempt  to  shape  his  conduct  accord- 
ing to  her  wishes,  conscious  that,  should  he  do  so,  his  engage- 
ment to  Sidonie  would  not  last  a  day;  and  now  that  she  was 
not  present  to  watch  him,  it  was  far  easier  to  receive  his  be- 
trothed with  amiability  and  conduct  her  to  her  place  beneath 
the  linden. 

To  the  surprise  of  all  present,  Sidonie  expressed  a  desire  to 
return  to  town  in  the  carriage.  Her  mother  tenderly  trusted 
that  her  excursion  on  the  water  had  not  been  too  much  for 
her,  and  her  father  observed,  with  his  own  peculiar  grace, 
that  "  it  was  deuced  folly  to  go  floating  about  on  that  swamp 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  85 

in  the  fog."  The  young  lady,  however,  assured  them  that  she 
felt  perfectly  well  and  strong,  only  she  did  not  care  to  ride 
again  at  present.  She  whispered  in  her  mother's  ear,  "  Ask 
Professor  Schonrade  to  visit  us;  he  is  delightful."  And 
Madame  Feinberg  was  but  too  well  accustomed  to  obeying  such 
directions  from  her  spoiled  darling. 

Moritz  Amberger  uncorked  the  last  bottle  of  champagne, 
and  insisted  upon  the  Professor's  drinking  a  glass.  He  seemed 
to  wish  to  prove  to  his  betrothed  that  her  trip  upon  the  water 
had  not  aroused  his  jealousy,  but  that  he  knew  how  to  value 
a  man  of  Schonrade's  stamp.  He  had  drunk  considerably, 
and  was  jovial  and  talkative.  At  last  he  offered  to  resign 
his  horse  to  Otto  Feinberg,  and  to  ride  Sidonie's  mare  back 
to  town  "  lady-fashion,"  as  he  called  it.  The  jest  was  greatly 
relished  by  the  two  officers,  and  measures  were  taken  for  carry- 
ing it  out  immediately.  Moritz  tied  a  large  plaid  about  his 
waist  for  a  riding-skirt,  and  fastened  a  handkerchief  to  his  hat 
for  a  veil,  insisting  upon  being  put  into  the  saddle  by  Herr 
von  Oschersdorf,  who,  accordingly,  held  his  stirrup.  Sidonie, 
to  whom  he  waved  his  hand  as  he  rode  off,  shrugged  her 
shoulders,  but  could  not  help  laughing.  She  seemed  tired  of 
playing  the  languishing  fair  one,  and  perhaps  regretted  having 
asked  for  a  scat  in  the  carriage. 

Schonrade  conducted  the  ladies  to  the  vehicle,  and,  on  the 
way,  Madame  Feinberg  asked  him  how  long  a  stay  he  intended 
to  make  in  the  town,  and  if  she  might  learn  the  nature  of  the 
business  that  had  brought  him  hither.  He  replied  that  his 
stay  would  last  but  a  few  days,  and  then  went  into  some  long 
explanation  about  a  desire  to  see  all  the  antiquities  of  the 
place,  and  a  hope  of  investigating  a  new  species  of  infusoria  in 
its  waters ;  by  which  ingenious  fraud  he  succeeded  partly  in 
convincing  himself,  but  produced  small  effect  upon  Madame 
Feinberg,  who  exclaimed,  as  he  helped  her  into  the  carriage, 
"  My  dear  Herr  Professor,  if  you  wish  to  see  the  curiosities 

8 


86  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

of  the  town,  you  must  not  miss  our  house.  It  is  one  of  the 
oldest  patrician  mansions.  My  husband  spent  a  great  deal  of 
money  in  buying  and  rebuilding  it  a  few  years  ago.  It  over- 
looks the  ancient  fosse,  and  the  garden-wall  is  partly  com- 
posed of  the  old  wall  around  the  town.  Oh,  you  must  see  it ! 
Heavens  !  on  the  lower  terrace  you  see  nature,  pure  nature,  on 
every  side  !"  He  promised  to  pay  his  respects  to  them,  if  the 
ladies  would  allow  him.  Sidonie  followed  her  mother,  and 
added,  "  Pray  come,  we  have  nothing  in  the  world  to  do." 
Ignaz  was  already  comfortably  ensconced  in  the  back  seat,  and 
gave  the  coachman  a  nod  to  drive  off,  muttering,  by  way  of 
excuse,  "  The  horses  will  not  stand  any  longer."  "  We  shall 
see  you  soon?"  his  wife  screamed,  putting  her  head  out  of  the 
window  as  they  drove  off. 

Schonrade  mounted  his  horse,  and  would  have  been  glad  to 
have  no  company  but  his  own  thoughts,  but  it  scarcely  seemed 
courteous  to  take  so  sudden  a  leave,  and  perhaps  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Feinbergs  might  further  his  views.  So  he  put 
spurs  to  his  steed  and  was  soon  by  the  side  of  the  carriage. 

Here,  in  spite  of  the  noise  of  the  wheels,  the  ladies  man- 
aged to  keep  up  a  running  fire  of  conversation  with  him,  and 
shortly  afterwards,  when  the  horsemen  were  overtaken,  the 
•arriage  was  quite  surrounded  by  riders.  Moritz's  lady-like 
demeanour  was  loudly  applauded  by  Madame  Feinberg,  but 
Sidonie  ordered  him  to  stay  behind  in  the  English  garden 
until  they  were  out  of  sight,  since  she  did  not  choose  to  be 
made  ridiculous  on  entering  the  town.  He  meekly  did  as  he 
was  bidden. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  Feinbergs',  a  servant  darted  for- 
ward to  open  the  carriage-door.  "  Are  you  engaged  to  dine 
anywhere  to-morrow  ?"  Madame  Feinberg  asked  the  Professor. 
He  replied  that  he  had  no  engagement,  and  received  a  press- 
ing invitation  to  a  family  dinner.  "  And  no  formal  nonsense," 
Sidonie  added. 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  87 

Schb'nrade  rode  slowly  through  the  dimly-lighted  streets. 
He  did  not  know  his  way,  and  never  thought  of  finding  it 
through  the  rows  of  houses  with  pointed  gables,  above  which 
the  pale  moonlight  was  beginning  to  gleam.  He  was  buried 
in  thought,  and  was  recalled  to  himself  by  his  steed,  which 
stopped  before  a  large  gate  and  neighed  loudly. 

A  groom  made  his  appearance,  and  it  was  manifest  that  the 
horse  had  wisely  chosen  to  go  directly  to  his  own  stable  since 
affairs  were  intrusted  to  his  guidance.  It  made  very  little 
difference ;  the  hotel  was  close  at  hand,  and  the  Professor 
walked  home.  And  these,  then,  were  the  people  with  whom 
he  had  to  do  ;  he  felt  very  little  attraction  for  any  of  them. 
Frau  Barbara  Amberger  inspired  him  with  a  certain  respect, 
but  she  was  the  most  unapproachable  of  all.  He  pitied  Mo- 
ritz  as  one  pities  a  man  whom,  nevertheless,  he  feels  no  call  to 
assist.  He  was  entirely  unlike  his  brother  Philip.  As  for 
Katrine, — his  Katrine,  with  her  quick  intelligence  and  un- 
affected gayety, — he  could  not  imagine  her  in  this  circle.  He 
determined  not  to  judge  her  people,  however,  until  he  had 
observed  them  more  closely.  The  Feinbergs  were  easier  to 
understand.  Sidonie  alone  was  something  of  a  problem.  He 
could  not  be  quite  sure  whether  she  was  only  a  frivolous  co- 
quette, with  an  affectation  of  singularity,  or  whether  she  had 
pome  depth  of  nature  and  was  only  spoiled  or  misunderstood, 
as  she  herself  declared.  Whence  her  sudden  confidences  ? 
What  did  she  mean  by  singling  him  out  so  decidedly  ?  Was 
it  a  custom  with  her  to  conduct  herself  thus  with  every  new 
acquaintance,  or  was  he  specially  honoured  ?  Her  self-asser- 
tion, her  caprices,  her  treatment  of  Moritz,  disgusted  him:  he 
did  not  even  think  her  pretty  or  attractive ;  and  yet  when  he 
remembered  the  sail  on  the  lake  he  could  not  but  admit  that 
he  felt  a  certain  temptation  to  try  his  influence  upon  such  a  wild 
and  unrestrained  nature.  He  could  never  have  the  slightest 
inclination  to  do  more,  now  that  his  choice  for  life  was  made. 


THE   GREEN  GATE. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

AFTER  a  rather  restless  night,  the  Professor  determined  to 
make  no  further  delay  in  declaring  his  hopes  to  the  mother 
of  his  love,  and  accordingly  presented  himself  at  an  early  hour 
in  her  drawing-room. 

"  You  returned  home  yesterday  so  early  and  unexpectedly," 
he  began,  after  the  first  formal  greetings,  "  that  I  had  no  op- 
portunity to  bid  you  '  good-evening.'  I  hope  indisposition  was 
not  the  cause  of  your  departure." 

"  You  can  hardly  have  missed  an  old  woman,"  she  said, 
shaking  her  head,  "  while  you  were  in  such  interesting 
society." 

"  I  did,  greatly,"  he  insisted.  "  Let  me  confess  that  I  went 
to  Seehausen  solely  on  your  account." 

She  looked  at  him  incredulously.  "  Then  you  should  not 
have  been  persuaded  to  sail  on  the  lake,"  she  said,  "  in  the 
mist  and  darkness  with  a  young  lady."  She  tried  to  say  it 
jestingly,  but  her  irritation  against  Sidonie  was  manifest  in 
spite  of  herself. 

"  I  could  not  allow  Friiulein  Feinberg  to  go  alone  upon  the 
water,"  he  said ;  "  and  as  the  other  gentlemen  were  ready  for 
supper " 

"  Oh,  Friiulein  Feinberg  would  have  changed  her  mind  in 
five  minutes,"  she  interrupted  him,  not  without  evident  an- 
noyance ;  "  I  know  the  fleeting  nature  of  her  fancies." 

"  But  if  you  did  not  approve  of  her  sailing,  why  not  have 
told  the  young  lady  ?" 

She  sighed.  "There  are  things,"  she  said,  "to  which  we 
must  resign  ourselves.  Sidonie  is  very  independent,  and  my 
son  no  longer  owns  my  rule.  Young  people  of  the  present 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  89 

day  do  very  much  as  they  please,  and  my  opinions — I  was 
very  strictly  brought  up — would  be  thought  old-fashioned." 

"  But  in  this  case,"  he  said,  bowing,  "  you  may  be  perfectly 
assured  that  I  am  not  a  man  to " 

"  Oh,  pardon  me,"  the  matron  interrupted  him.  "  I  should 
rejoice  to  think  you  had  made  a  conquest  there,  did  I  not 

know But  why  speak  of  the  matter  at  all  ?  Sidonie  is 

betrothed  to  my  son,  and  will  soon  be  his  wife.  She  will  bring 
life  into  this  old  house;  it  has  already  put  on  a  new  dress, 
which  will  greatly  surprise  my  son  Philip.  Well,  it  is  large 
enough  ;  my  rooms  in  it  are  mine  by  my  husband's  will,  and 

there  is  space  enough  in  them  for  Katharina  until  she 

Let  us  say  no  more  about  it." 

"  My  dear  Frau  Amberger,"  he  replied,  moving  his  chair 
closer  to  hers,  so  that  she  looked  up  in  surprise,  "  it  is  of  her 
that  I  beg  to  be  allowed  to  speak.  What  I  have  to  say  lies 
nearer  my  heart  than  anything  else  in  the  world.  I  pray  you 
to  listen  to  me." 

"  How  am  I  to  understand  you,  Herr  Professor?"  she  asked, 
in  some  embarrassment. 

He  looked  her  full  in  the  face.  "  You  spoke  just  now  of 
Katharina,  and  of  a  time  when  she  would  no  longer  need  your 
protection.  Suppose  that  time  were  already  come- " 

"  How,  sir?" 

"  You  must  hear  me,  madame.  I  have  learned  to  know 
and  to  love  Katharina  Amberger  during  her  stay  in  Berlin  ;  I 
have  asked  her  if  she  can  love  me,  and  she  has  answered 
'  yes.'  In  coming  here,  I  had  no  other  aim  than  to  present 
myself  to  you  and  pray  you  for  your  consent.  Do  not,  do  not 
refuse  to  give  it  to  me  !" 

Frau  Barbara  Amberger  sat  in  her  cushioned  chair  like  an 
image  of  stone,  her  lips  slightly  parted,  her  eyes  riveted  upon 
the  Professor,  who  to  >k  her  hand  and  carried  it  to  his  lips. 
"  But  how  can  this  be  ?"  she  asked,  after  a  pause, — express- 

8* 


90  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

ing  her  astonishment  in  the  words  that  first  suggested  them- 
selves. * 

"Indeed,  it  would  be  hard  to  say,"  he  answered,  imme- 
diately, infinitely  relieved  and  quite  ready  to  treat  the  matter 
gaily.  "  A  philosopher  would  find  it  difficult  to  invent  a 
formula  to  explain  it ;  but  it  is  a  truth,  and  must  be  treated 
as  such.  I  love  your  daughter,  and  am  convinced  that  she 
loves  me.  These  are  facts  that  no  consent  given  or  withheld 
can  affect.  But  it  depends  upon  others  whether  our  love  prove 
fortunate  or  the  reverse,  and  therefore  I  entreat  your  blessing." 

Frau  Barbara  drew  away  her  hand.  "  But  Katharina  has 
never  in  any  of  her  letters " 

"  How  could  she  reveal  a  secret  which  she  was  guarding 
closely  even  from  herself?  I  declared  myself  only  the  day 
before  my  departure.  I  left  her,  promising  to  come  hither 
immediately,  madame,  to  ask  her  at  your  hands." 

She  wrung  her  hands  uneasily,  looked  down,  and  seemed  to 
reflect. 

"  Does  any  one  know  of  this  ?  Do  the  Wiesels  know  ?" 
she  asked. 

"  How  should  they  ?  They  were  not  at  home,  and  I  have 
not  seen  them  since." 

"  They  do  not  even  know,  then,  that  you  came  hither?" 

"No." 

She  breathed  more  freely.  "  Thank  Heaven  I  Herr  Pro- 
fessor, I  require  your  promise  that  no  one — no  one  else  shall 
learn  what  you  have  just  told  me.  Indeed,  you  owe  me  this 
consideration." 

Schonrade  bowed  in  assent.  "  I,  too,  think  that  a  betrothal 
should  first  be  made  public  through  the  mother  of  the  be- 
trothed." 

Frau  Amberger  moved  uneasily  in  her  chair.  "  You  speak 
of  betrothal,  Herr  Professor,"  she  said,  with  some  hesitation, 
"  but  matters  have  not  yet  gone  so  far  by  a  great  deal. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  91 

Katharina  has  acted  very  thoughtlessly, — very.  I  cannot  see 
how  such  a  tete-a-tete  could  have  taken  place  while  she  was 
under  the  Wiesels'  roof.  I  allowed  Katharina  to  go  there 
because  I  thought  that  until  her  brother  Moritz  was  mar- 
ried to  Sidonie  she  would  be  safer  there  than  here  from  all 
undesirable  influences,  and  now  I  learn  that  my  daughter  has 
entered  into  secret  relations  with  an  entire  stranger,  that  she 
has  had  a  tete-a-tete  conversation  with  him,  and  has  even 
shown  so  little  consideration  for  her  mother  as  to  give  utter- 
ance to  words  which  you,  sir,  consider  yourself  justified  in 
understanding  as  an  avowal  of  affection.  Herr  Professor,  all 
this  confuses  and  astounds  me." 

He  waited  calmly  until  she  had  finished  ;  his  expression 
plainly  showing  how  powerless  was  her  disapproval.  "  Ma- 
dame," he  now  said,  gently,  "  I  give  you  my  word  of 
honour  that  nothing  has  happened  that  could  in  any  way 
compromise  your  daughter's  maidenly  dignity  in  the  eyes  of 
the  strictest  parent, — unless,  indeed,  it  be  a  crime  to  love 
me.  My  declaration  was  entirely  unforeseen  by  her.  I  took 
her  by  surprise,  and  in  an  unguarded  moment  obtained  from 
her  the  confession  of  her  affection.  Whatever  reproach  you 
may  think  I  deserve,  madame,  Fraulein  Katharina  and  her 
friends  are  blameless." 

Frau  Amberger  shook  her  head.  "  Our  views  upon  the 
subject  are  entirely  different,  Herr  Professor,"  she  replied. 
"  In  the  circle  whose  customs  and  opinions  you  share,  it  may 
be  considered  correct  for  a  young  man  and  a  young  girl  to 
engage  themselves,  if  they  please,  to  each  other,  and  then  to 
ask  the  consent  of  their  parents,  who  probably  have  nothing 
else  to  give.  But  in  this  ancient  commercial  town,  you  must 
know,  certain  good  old  customs,  that  accord  but  ill  with 
modern  ideas,  are  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation, 
There  are  here  patrician  families,  who  have,  it  is  true,  lost 
many  of  their  old  municipal  privileges,  but  who  still  retain 


92  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

their  solid  wealth  and  their  pride,  and  with  whom  marriages 
are  contracted  after  a  different  fashion  from  any  prevailing 
among  the  common  bourgeoisie.  Among  the  oldest  of  these 
patrician  families  the  Ambergers  and  the  Vorbringers,  of 
whom  I  am  one,  belong.  I  have  suffered  great  pain  from 
my  son  Moritz's  connection  with  a  plebeian  family.  Fein- 
berg  is  a  parvenu,  who  had  no  weight  on  'Change  as  long  as 
my  father  lived,  but  his  wealth  gives  him  a  certain  position 
now,  and  Sidonie  is  his  only  child ;  but  my  daughter  is  my 
charge,  and  the  disposal  of  her  hand  belongs  to  me  and  to  her 
brothers,  whom  my  husband's  will  endowed  with  full  rights  in 
the  matter.  These  are  my  views  with  regard  to  Katharina." 

She  sat  upright  and  looked  haughtily  down  at  the  Professor, 
whose  gloomy  gaze  was  bent  upon  the  ground.  "  I  could  not 
have  believed  that  such  prejudices  prevailed  anywhere  except 
in  certain  narrow  aristocratic  circles,"  he  replied,  after  a  pause. 
"  Let  me  ask,  in  my  turn,  How  can  this  be  ?  How  can  it  be 
in  these  advanced  times,  in  which  in  reality  men  are  divided 
only  into  two  classes, — the  cultivated  and  the  uncultivated  ? 
Ask  your  heart,  madame,  if  you  can  answer  it  to  yourself  to 
sacrifice  your  daughter's  happiness  to  such  idols,  and  then  give 
me  your  final  decision." 

Frau  Barbara  Amberger  compressed  her  lips  and  regarded 
him  sternly.  "  You  confidently  assert,  sir,  that  my  daughter's 
happiness  consists  in  a  union  with  yourself.  I  do  not  know 
upon  what  you  ground  this  assertion." 

"  Upon  my  honest  conviction,"  he  replied.  "  I  know  that 
I  love  Katharina  unspeakably,  and  that  she  loves  me.  All 
else  is  of  minor  importance." 

"  Not  to  me,"  she  hastily  rejoined.  "  How  easily  we  are 
mistaken  in  our  own  sentiments  !  how  soon  we  yield  to  a  fleet- 
ing inclination  !  An  inexperienced  girl, — a  forward  lover, — 
an  unguarded  moment, — and  the  happiness  of  an  eternity  is 
arranged :  a  happiness  that  is  shivered  like  glass  at  the  first 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  93 

shock.  Your  conviction,  sir,  is  no  warranty  for  me.  I  do  not 
know  you,  I  do  not  know  your  family  :  I  heard  your  name  yes- 
terday for  the  first  time  ;  I  do  not  even  know  whether  I  could 
prudently  intrust  Katharina's  property  to  your  keeping,  not 
to  speak  of  herself.  I  love  my  only  daughter  too  dearly  to 
dispose  of  her  so  recklessly." 

Schb'nrade  smiled  sadly.  "  How  shall  I  explain  to  you, 
madame,  who  and  what  I  am  ?  I  foresaw  the  necessity  of 
such  an  explanation,  and  yet  I  am  unprepared  to  make  it.  A 
man  who  has  been  called  to  fill  a  chair  in  a  renowned  German 
university,  where  he  is  regarded  with  respect  by  all  ranks  of 
society  in  our  capital, — a  man  who  has  expended  considerable 
sums  in  'foreign  travel  to  fit  him  for  the  duties  of  his  career, — 
a  man  who  has  given  to  the  world  the  results  of  his  scientific 
attainments  in  a  work  which  has  passed  through  three  editions 
in  a  few  years  and  has  been  approved  by  competent  critics, — I 
do  not  know  how  to  characterize  this  man  who  now  sues  for 
your  daughter's  hand,  if  this  does  not  suffice.  Surely  you 
need  no  further  assurance  that  I  am  able  suitably  to  support 
even  a  portionless  wife." 

The  matron  reflected.  "  All  this  procures  you  the  respect 
of  your  associates,"  she  said,  more  gently,  and  somewhat 
mournfully.  "  But  in  an  old  merchant  family " 

"It  should  do  no  less,"  he  interrupted  her.  "There  is  a 
patrician  rank  in  science,  and  princes  should  not  scorn  to  ally 
themselves  with  it." 

These  proud  words  impressed  her.  She  cast  down  her  eyes, 
and  drew  her  golden  chain  slowly  through  her  fingers.  "  You 
must  not  think  it  strange,"  she  said,  "  that  I  am  cautious 
where  I  am  ignorant.  You  have  an  office  :  so  much  I  under- 
stand. Now,  in  our  family  we  have  always  attached  great  im- 
portance to  entire  independence.  In  old  times,  an  Ambergcr 
frequently  occupied  the  position  of  burgomaster,  the  family 
was  always  represented  in  the  Senate,  some  of  my  ancestors 


94  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

served  as  captains  of  vessels  and  of  land-troops  in  the  wars  of 
the  period  ;  but  such  offices  were  always  held  simply  as  posts  of 
honour ;  they  were  and  they  remained  nicrchanjts.  From  the 
time  when  the  civil  government  was  intrusted  to  hired  officials, 
no  Amberger  and  no  Yorbringer  could  be  induced  to  fill  an 
office.  You  see,  there  are  offices,  and  offices,  Herr  Professor." 

"  The  difference  lies  least  of  all,  I  should  say,  in  whether 
labour  for  the  common  weal  receive  remuneration  or  not.  If 
any  post  may  be  termed  a  post  of  honour,  it  is,  I  should  think, 
that  of  teacher  in  a  great  university." 

She  changed  the  subject.  "  Have  you  any  family  ?"  she 
asked. 

"  My  mother  is  still  living.  Before  her  retirement  she  was 
greatly  esteemed  as  an  artist." 

Frau  Barbara  started  in  horror  :  "  An  artist !" 

"An  opera-singer,  madame.  The  name  of  Camilla  Bella- 
rota  is  perhaps  not  entirely  unknown  to  you." 

"  Camilla  Bellarota, — I  seem  to  have  heard  the  name, — in 
my  youth  it  must  have  been.    Yes,  yes,  there  was  a  story — 
I  forget.     Your  mother,  then,  was  an  opera-singer — indeed ! 
And  your  father?" 

Schonrade  saw  all  the  ground  he  had  gained  slipping  from 
beneath  his  feet.  "  I  never  knew  my  father,"  he  replied, 
somewhat  embarrassed  ;  "  he  must  have  died  quite  young." 

"  Indeed  !  died  ?"  she  said,  coldly.     "  He  was  an  Italian  ?" 

The  Professor  really  had  not  the  courage  to  tell  all  the  truth. 
"  Probably,"  he  said.  "  He  was  certainly  a  gentleman,  or  my 
mother  would  not  have  married  him.  But  "why  speak  of  these 
things  ?  I  am  what  I  am." 

"  True,  true,"  she  remarked,  absently  and  indifferently. 

The  conversation  began  to  oppress  him.  He  arose,  and  said, 
"  May  I  dare  to  hope,  madame?" 

The  lady  arose  at  the  same  time,  and  stood  still,  leaning  one 
hand  upon  the  back  of  her  chair  arid  the  other  upon  u  table. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  95 

.  "  I  will  be  honest  with  you,  my  dear  Herr  Professor,"  she 
said,  "  that  you  may  not  deceive  yourself.  Judging  from  the 
conversation  which  we  have  just  had,  I  cannot  approve  my 
daughter's  choice,  and  I  shall  do  all  that  I  can  to  turn  her 
thoughts  into  other  channels.  But  this  ought  to  give  you  no 
offence,  for,  in  the  first  place,  I  act  upon  principles  that  are  far 
older  than  your  suit,  and,  in  the  second  place,  I  know  you  too 
slightly  to  allow  any  question  of  your  personal  worth  to  influ- 
ence me.  I  believe  that  Katharina  is  mistaken,  and  that  she 
would  be  far  from  happy  in  those  circles  to  which  a  Professor 
and  a  man  of  science  would  introduce  her.  This  I  must  be- 
lieve until  I  am  convinced  of  the  contrary.  In  conclusion,  my 
right  is  more  that  of  refusal  than  of  consent.  My  husband 
was  very  anxious  that  the  inherited  and  acquired  property  of 
the  family  should  be  kept  together.  He  therefore  arranged  in 
his  will  that  nothing  of  importance,  either  of  a  business  nature 
or  otherwise,  should  take  place  without  the  consent  of  his  sons, 
— two  men  widely  differing  in  nature  and  temperament.  Al- 
though Philip  leaves  the  business,  perhaps,  too  entirely  in  his 
brother's  hands,  I  must,  in  such  an  important  event  as  Kath- 
arina's  marriage,  appeal  to  their  decision  if  she  should  oppose 
my  wishes.  Her  fortune  will  then  remain  in  trust  with  her 
brothers.  Wait  until  Philip  returns  from  Italy,  and  make  your 
request  of  my  son  Moritz  in  the  mean  while.  The  rest  must 
be  left  to  the  future." 

The  Professor  had  listened  calmly.  "  Madame,"  he  said, 
frankly,  "  I  thank  you  for  your  candour.  If  I  had  only  my- 
self to  think  of,  I  should  say,  '  When  I  learned  to  love  Kath- 
arina Amberger,  I  had  no  idea  that  she  was  an  heiress,  and  it 
is  a  matter  of  perfect  indifference  to  me  whether  she  possesses 
a  penny  or  not.  Were  she  a  poor  girl,  she  is  still  the  only 
woman  in  the  world  whom  I  would  marry,  and  if  she  pos- 
sesses a  fortune,  not  a  groschen  should  ever  be  used  for  my 
household  that  I  did  not  earn  myself.'  But  I  cannot  be  thus 


96  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

egotistical.  It  would  be  a  grief  to  me  to  cause  discord  between 
the  girl  whom  I  love  and  her  family,  or  to  leave  her  dependent 
upon  brothers  who  blamed  her.  I  shall,  therefore,  while  I  do 
not  swerve  from  the  troth  I  have  plighted,  do  all  that  I  can  to 
preserve  family  peace  and  harmony.  This,  niadame,  will  be  my 
plan  of  action." 

He  approached  her  and  kissed  her  hand.  For  the  first  time, 
a  gleam  of  kindliness  softened  her  expression.  "  That  is 
spoken  like  a  man  of  honour,"  she  said,  gently,  and  slightly 
pressed  his  hand.  He  turned  to  go.  "  One  more  thing,"  she 
called  after  him :  "  I  trust  you  will  refrain  from  disturbing 
Katharina's  peace  of  mind,  and  will  not  seek  the  continuance 
of  a  relation  with  her  which  has  not  received  the  sanction  of 
her  nearest  relatives." 

Schonrade  stood  proudly  erect.  "  She  shall  know,"  he  re- 
plied, "  that  under  all  circumstances  I  shall  love  her  as  dearly 
as  it  is  possible  for  one  human  being  to  love  another.  For  the 
rest,  madame,  be  assured  I  shall  conduct  myself  towards  her 
like  a  man  of  honour." 

Her  face  grew  dark  again.  He  bowed  once  more,  and  left 
the  house.  As  he  did  so,  involuntarily  the  thought  occurred 
to  him,  "  When,  and  with  what  emotions,  shall  I  cross  this 
threshold  again?" 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IT  was  one  o'clock  when  he  reached  his  hotel,  and  he  would 
far  rather  have  taken  the  first  train  for  Berlin  than  have  stayed 
to  fulfil  his  engagement  to  dine  with  the  Feinbergs.  He  was 
utterly  depressed  mentally,  and  he  felt  physically  wearied  in 
consequence.  To  have  to  pass  hours  in  the  society  of  those 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  97 

who  were  entirely  indifferent  or  rather  obnoxious  to  him,  was  a 
terrible  prospect. 

But  he  could  not  return  to  Berlin  without  first  speaking 
with  Moritz.  He  could  not  neglect  this  duty,  although  it  was 
almost  a  matter  of  course  that  the  son,  as  a  good  merchant, 
would  share  the  mother's  views.  It  would  be  playing  a  dis- 
honourable part  towards  Katrine  were  he  to  retreat  after  a 
first  defeat;  his  own  annoyance  must  have  no  weight  whatever 
in  determining  his  actions.  Nothing  would  so  serve  to  exalt 
him  in  Moritz  Amberger's  estimation  as  the  attention  with 
which  the  Feinbergs  seemed  disposed  to  treat  him,  and  any 
neglect  of  their  kindness  upon  his  part  would  prejudice  them 
against  him,  and  Sidonie's  bridegroom  would,  of  course,  share 
such  a  prejudice, — a  result,  in  the  present  state  of  his  affairs, 
greatly  to  be  deprecated.  So  he  made  up  his  mind  to  submit 
to  be  entertained  with  as  good  a  grace  as  possible. 

As  all  this  was  passing  through  his  thoughts,  there  was  a 
knock  at  his  door.  He  supposed  it  was  the  officious  waiter, 
and  called  out,  rather  irritably,  "  Come  in  !"  when,  to  his  sur- 
prise, Moritz  Amberger  entered  the  room. 

"  I  lose  no  time  in  returning  your  call,  Herr  Professor,"  the 
young  man  remarked,  quite  with  the  air  of  an  old  acquaint- 
ance. "  I  venture  to  think  that  your  visit  of  yesterday  was 
not  intended  exclusively  for  my  mother." 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  Schonrade  answered,  shaking  hands 
with  him  ;  "  and  I  thank  you  for  an  attention  which  I  hardly 
had  a  right  to  expect.  How  are  you  after  your  yesterday's 
exploit?" 

"Oh,  don't  speak  of  it!"  the  merchant  exclaimed,  with  a 
laugh.  "  The  jest  was  tedious  enough, — suited  to  the  wits  of 
my  military  friends.  Where  did  you  go  ?  We  wanted  you  to 
take  a  glass  of  beer  with  us  at  our  bachelor-club,  after  the 
fatigues  of  the  afternoon,  but  you  were  nowhere  to  be  found." 

"  My  steed  carried  me  whither  he  would,"  Schonrade  ex- 
E  9 


98  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

plained.  "  and  that  was  to  his  own  quarters.  I  am  sorry  to 
have  missed  the  pleasure  of  your  society  and  the  refreshment 
of  a  glass  of  beer,  which  I  should  certainly  have  appreciated." 

Amberger  threw  himself  upon  the  lounge,  and  drew  off  his 
glove.  "  You  have  not  forgotten,"  he  said,  as  if  incidentally, 
':  that  you  are  engaged  to  dine  at  the  Feinbergs'  this  after- 
noon ?  Friiulein  Sidonie  requested  me  to  remind  you  of  it. 
You  see,  she  imagines  all  learned  men  are  very  absent-minded, 
and  that  without  a  reminder  you  would  never  remember.  Is 
she  right  ?" 

"  Not  at  all !"  the  Professor  replied,  instantly  divining  the 
cause  of  the  present  visit.  "  I  have  the  best  memory  in  the 
world  for  such  matters.  I  am  by  no  means  insensible,  either, 
to  the  pleasures  of  the  table." 

"  No  bookworm,  then,"  the  young  man  rejoined.  "  I  was 
sure  of  that  when  I  saw  how  you  rode.  Yes,  yes,  in  spite  of 
all  that  sages  may  say,  meat  and  drink  are  as  important  to-day 
as  they  were  a  thousand  years  ago.  And  no  one  understands 
that  better  than  the  Feinbergs,  as  I  think  you  will  admit 
after  to-day." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  Schonrade  replied.  "  Your  future 
father-in-law  seems  to  be  a  man  of  wealth." 

"  He  is  so  considered,"  Amberger  answered,  with  a  know- 
ing look ;  "  and  yet  the  half  of  his  resources  is  not  known. 
There  are  very  few  such  heads  for  business  in  the  world. 
Wherever  he  takes  hold  he  fairly  coins  money ;  he  knows  the 
people  he  deals  with,  knows  all  their  sources  of  income,  plans 
a  campaign  like  a  field  officer,  and  manoeuvres  so  skilfully  that 
his  troops  always  come  into  play  at  the  right  place  and  time, 
and  nothing  is  ever  lost  except  what  he  has  determined  shall 
be  sacrificed.  Sometimes  I  am  really  very  anxious,  but  in  a 
perfect  fire  of  telegrams  he  is  calm  and  cool,  and  sure  of  con- 
quest. A  very  remarkable  man  in  his  way." 

"  Is  Herr  Otto  Feinberg  his  partner  ?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  99 

"  No,  not  his  partner.  Ignaz  Feinberg  will  tolerate  no  one 
in  that  position ;  even  his  brother  is  not  allowed  to  examine 
his  books.  But  he  is  his  right  hand,  as  I  am  his  left.  In 
all  his  great  projects  he  sends  him  to  feel  the  way,  as  it  were, 
while  he  himself  never  stirs  from  his  counting-room,  and,  as 
compensation,  he  gives  him  a  large  share  of  profit,  without 
any  risk.  Otto  Feinberg  is  a  man  of  excellent  capacity,  but 
not  very  attractive  in  society, — a  man  who  simply  eats  when 
he's  hungry  and  drinks  when  he's  thirsty;  it  is  a  perfect 
sin  to  waste  fine  wine  upon  him, — although  he  certainly  does 
appreciate  a  good  cigar." 

"  What  did  you  mean  by  calling  yourself  his  brother's  left 
hand  ?" 

"  Why,  you  see,  he  uses  me  in  another  way.  The  firm  of 
Amberger  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respected  in  the 
country.  Its  antiquity  stands  it  in  good  stead  in  the  com- 
mercial world, — a  reputation  inherited  from  father  to  son  for 
centuries  outweighs  anything  that  can  be  done  in  a  single 
lifetime.  Who  knew  anything  about  Ignaz  Feinberg  thirty 
years  ago?  But  five  hundred  years  ago  the  ships  of  the 
Ambergers  sailed  the  North  Sea.  Feinberg,  rich  though  he 
is,  is  often  glad  of  the  support  of  an  ancient  name,  and  mine 
stands  him  in  stead.  We  often  do  business  together,  and  I 
should  but  poorly  understand  my  own  interest  if  I  ever  refused 
to  go  as  far  with  him  as  he  would  carry  me.  In  accordance 
with  his  advice,  I  have  had  less  and  less  to  do  of  late  years  with 
the  old  commerce  in  grain,  which  is  not  nearly  so  profitable  as 
in  former  times,  and  have  turned  my  attention  to  banking  and 
exchange.  I  am  able  to  accommodate  him  with  money,  and 
receive  large  interest  for  it.  My  father  would  open  his  eyes  if 
he  could  look  into  our  books  to-day."  He  thrust  his  hands  in 
his  pockets,  leaned  back  among  the  sofa-cushions,  and  laughed. 

"  But  the  connection  that  you  describe,"  observed  the  Pro- 
fessor. "  presupposes  boundless  personal  confidence." 


100  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

"  Of  course,  of  course,"  Amberger  assented  ;  "  but  I  have 
a  bit  in  his  mouth.  I  would  not  advise  any  one  to  follow  my 
example  who  was  not  to  be  his  son-in-law.  He  is  getting 
and  gaining  for  his  only  daughter,  and,  as  you  know,  Sidonie 
is  my  betrothed." 

In  spite  of  the  air  of  easy  confidence  with  which  these 
words  were  spoken,  they  failed  to  produce  the  desired  effect 
upon  Schonrade,  who  could  not  but  remember  what  he  had 
heard  from  Sidonie  herself,  that  Moritz's  position  as  her  lover 
•was  dependent  upon  her  whim.  If  it  suited  her  caprice  some 
fine  day  to  break  the  slender  thread  that  bound  her  to  her 
present  choice,  he  would,  to  be  sure,  regain  his  freedom,  but 
most  disastrous  consequences  might  ensue  in  his  commercial 
affairs. 

The  fortunate  lover,  however,  left  him  no  time  to  pursue 
these  reflections.  He  took  out  his  watch,  held  it  mechanically 
to  his  ear,  although  there  was  not  the  least  reason  to  doubt  its 
correctness,  and  observed,  "  It  is  time  to  go  ;  shall  we  walk 
together?  At  present  you  possess  an  immense  amount  of 
interest  for  Friiulein  Sidonie,  but  her  appetite  for  novelty  is 
amazing.  You  will  have  to  economize  your  means  of  enter- 
tainment, Herr  Professor ;  she  would  so  squander  the  resources 
of  a  millionaire  in  this  respect  as  soon  to  make  him  bankrupt. 
I  often  laugh  at  my  mother's  insatiate  appetite  for  romances, 
but  it  is  nothing  in  comparison  with  Sidonie's  greed  of 
amusement." 

Schonrade  smiled  as  he  drew  on  his  gloves.  Did  Moritz 
wish  to  hint  to  him  that  his  rapid  rise  in  the  young  lady's 
favour  rested  upon  an  insecure  basis  ?  Were  his  remarks 
prompted  by  a  faint  feeling  of  jealousy,  or  by  the  simple  hu- 
mour of  the  moment  ?  At  all  events,  he  replied  honestly  enough, 
"  I  should  greatly  dislike  to  have  to  fulfil  extraordinary  ex- 
pectations. An  idea  that  such  fulfilment  was  looked  for  would 
make  me  unendurably  stupid.  Fortunately,  niy  future  happi- 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  101 

ness  would  not  be  shattered  even  by  a  sudden  fall  from 
favour." 

"  Since  you  are  on  the  eve  of  departure,  as  I  hear,"  the  young 
merchant  said,  laughing,  "  it  can  under  no  circumstances  affect 
you  as  it  does  Messrs,  von  Otten,  Oschersdorf  &  Co.,  who 
have  dwindled  to  mere  nebulae,  after  careering  about  for  a  day 
or  two  as  stars  of  the  first  magnitude." 

The  Professor  regarded  him  attentively.  This  young  man 
played  his  ambiguous  part  extremely  well. 


The  Feinberg  mansion  justified  the  praises  bestowed  upon  it 
by  its  inmates.  It  was  really  a  remarkable  edifice,  that  had 
been  adapted  within  and  on  the  side  away  from  the  street  to 
all  the  requirements  of  modern  luxury,  without  destroying  the 
antique  appearance  of  the  building.  In  former  times  it  had 
been  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  town  wall,  and  on  the  other 
by  a  tower  in  the  large  garden  ;  but  the  wall  had  fallen  to 
decay,  and  its  ruins  had  been  used  to  fill  up  the  ancient  ditch, 
while  upon  its  massive  foundation  a  graceful  addition  of  iron 
and  glass  led  from  the  ground-floor  out  into  a  terraced  garden. 
A  single  spacious  apartment  formed  the  upper  story  of  this  ad- 
dition, and  the  opposite  wall  as  you  entered  was  occupied  by 
one  huge  window,  extending  from  ceiling  to  floor,  from  which 
a  flight  of  steps  led  first  to  a  lower  balcony  beneath  the  old 
tower,  and  then  down  into  the  garden.  The  table  was  laid 
in  this  apartment.  Schonrade  expressed  his  admiration  of  the 
room  to  his  hostess,  who  was  evidently  looking  for  a  burst  of 
enthusiasm  from  him.  "  Yes,"  she  rejoined,  "  our  architect 
has  done  extremely  well,  I  think.  If  you  stand  here, — just 
here,  Herr  Professor,  before  this  wall  of  glass, — you  have  na- 
ture, pure  nature,  everywhere.  Each  pane  is  eleven  feet  high, 
and  so  well  set  that  you  can  scarcely  see  the  joinings.  The 
thin  gilt  frames  are  made  in  imitation  of  slender  tent-poles, 

9* 


102  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

and  the  ceiling  is,  as  you  see,  draped  in  imitation  of  a  tent. 
Oh,  yes,  if  you  have  plenty  of  money  you  can  really  produce 
beautiful  effects  and  surround  yourself  with  nature." 

Sidonie  offered  her  hand  to  the  Professor  as  to  an  old  ac- 
quaintance. She  wore  a  summer  dress  of  some  fine  thin  fabric 
covered  with  lace,  and  a  string  of  large  pearls,  encircled  her 
throat.  Her  airy  costume  threw  into  strong  relief  her  rather 
broad  face,  long  nose,  decided  eyebrows,  and  her  stern  mouth, 
that  displayed,  when  she  laughed,  teeth  dazzlingly  white  but 
rather  too  large.  Schonrade  had  not  thought  her  handsome 
on  the  previous  day,  but  in  her  riding-habit  and  high  hat  she 
had  certainly  been  more  interesting  than  in  her  present  dress. 
Her  eyes,  however,  struck  him  as  they  had  done  when  he  saw 
her  first,  as  possessing  a  peculiar  intensity  :  she  fairly  riveted 
them  upon  what  engaged  her  attention  at  the  moment.  There 
needed  both  assurance  and  ease  to  parry  their  glances.  "  Do 
you  know  that  I  sailed  on  the  water  all  night?"  she  said  to 
him,  in  a  low  tone, — "  in  my  dreams,  of  course.  I  saw  the 
moon  rise  above  the  mists,  and  we  sang  together  the  German 
folk-song,  '  I  do  not  know  what  it  foretelleth' — do  you  sing 
when  you  are  awake  ? — and  suddenly  a  wind  blew, — far  too 
strong  a  wind  for  the  Seehausen  mill-pond, — and  upset  the  boat. 
I  was  not  in  the  least  frightened,  however,  only  frightfully 
anxious  to  know  whether  you  would  save  me.  And  you  did 
save  me,  but,  very  drolly,  after  you  had  first  composedly  put  on 
a  pair  of  kid  gloves." 

"  You  see,  I  knew,  Fraulein  Sidonie,  that  you  could  swim, 
and,  as  my  task  was  merely  a  conventional  one,  I  was  anxious 
that  it  should  be  perfectly  performed,"  the  Professor  answered, 
in  a  jesting  tone. 

Moritz  clapped  his  hands,  and  cried,  "  Bravo  !  bravo  !  That 
I  call  true  courtesy." 

"  Nonsense !"  she  pouted,  toying  with  her  fan.  "  Like  a 
hero  in  a  modern  novel." 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  103 

Ignaz  Feinberg  was  seated  in  a  wheeled  chair,  an  afghan 
over  his  knees,  looking  through  the  newspapers.  He  alone,  of 
all  present,  was  not  in  dinner  dress,  but  appeared  in  the  same 
gray  coat  that  he  had  worn  the  previous  day,  and  which, 
judging  from  the  inky  splashes  on  the  left  sleeve,  must  have 
been  the  one  usually  worn  in  his  counting-room.  From  time 
to  time  he  folded  a  paper  together  so  as  to  bring  into  relief 
some  notice  or  paragraph,  which  he  would  hand  to  Moritz 
Amberger  or  Otto  Feinberg,  as  either  happened  to  be  near 
him,  without  speaking  or  altering  a  muscle  of  his  face.  From 
the  recipient  would  ensue  a  laconic  "  hm,  hm  !"  "  indeed !" 
"  not  bad,"  or  words  of  a  like  nature.  After  this  fashion 
Ignaz  Feinberg  composed  for  his  own  inspection  a  mosaic 
picture  of  the  business  world  of  the  day,  and  his  relish  for 
his  dinner  depended  on  the  effect  of  the  said  picture  upon  his 
mind. 

The  two  officers  were  also  invited  guests.  Sidonie  whispered 
to  the  Professor,  as  they  entered  rather  noisily,  "  For  the  sake 
of  contrast !  And  my  mother  is  so  fond  of  a  uniform  !" 

In  especial  honor  of  the  stranger,  old  Dr.  Sperling  had  been 
invited.  He  was  the  head-master  of  the  scientific  school  of 
the  place,  and  had  been  town-recorder  for  many  years, — a 
man,  in  his  host's  opinion,  eminently  well  fitted  to  enlighten  a 
stranger  upon  all  that  the  town  contained  of  antiquity  or  in- 
terest. His  hair  was  very  gray,  and  his  face  looked  as  if'  it 
were  carved  out  of  wood  ;  he  was  stiff  and  angular  in  his  move- 
ments, and  evidently  rather  ill  at  ease  in  the  tight  dress-coat 
that  he  had  donned  in  honour  of  the  occasion,  but  there  was 
a  grave  courtesy  in  his  demeanour,  and  he  was  treated  with 
much  consideration. 

Schonrade's  place  was  between  the  mother  and  daughter. 
Ignaz  Feiuberg  sat  beside  his  wife,  Moritz  Amberger  on  the 
other  side  of  his  betrothed.  The  four  other  gentlemen  occu- 
pied the  opposite  side  of  the  table.  "  We  have  arranged  a  gay 


104  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

sight  for  ourselves,"  said  Madame  Feinberg,  indicating  the 
gorgeous  uniforms  on  either  side  of  the  old  Recorder's  black 
coat.  « 

"  I  rejoice  in  not  being  a  lady,"  the  old  man  remarked,  in  a 
ponderous  fashion.  "  Were  I  one,  the  presence  of  such  attract- 
ive neighbours  would,  I  fear,  spoil  my  dinner  for  me."  The 
jest  was  very  well  received;  even  Ignaz  Feinberg  laughed 
quietly  over  his  soup-plate. 

He,  the  host,  never  tasted  the  exquisite  dishes  that  com- 
posed the  meal,  but,  to  the  Professor's  surprise,  partook  of  the 
simplest  fare,  served  for  himself  alone,  with  a  single  glass  of 
claret.  His  wife  felt  it  necessary  to  explain  apologetically. 
"  My  dear  husband  is  very  fearful  of  injuring  his  health  ;  he 
trusts  his  friends  will  excuse  him,"  she  said. 

"  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  my  health,"  he  corrected  her; 
"  I  like  to  eat  what  I've  always  been  accustomed  to.  I  think 
I  might  be  allowed  that  luxury."  Schonrade  found  it  quite 
natural,  and  Sidonie  added,  "  Papa  is  really  a  most  remarkable 
man  in  this  respect;  he  would  have  no  objection  to  our  con- 
juring up  here  a  fairy-palace,  if  he  might  have  his  old  counting- 
room  left  just  as  it  is.  I  could  far  more  easily  coax  out  of  him 
a  check  for  a  hundred  thousand  thalers  than  persuade  him  to 
have  the  threadbare  horse-hair  covering  of  his  sofa  renewed, 
or  his  shabby  old  desk  re-covered.  For  himself,  he  clings  to 
simplicity." 

The  banker  smiled  scornfully.  "  A  very  fine  explanation," 
he  said,  "  but  the  fact  is  that  I  am  as  superstitious  as  a  play- 
actor. On  that  old  sofa,  at  that  old  desk,  I  have  come  to 
occupy  my  present  position, — in  which,  thank  God,  I  can  let 
my  wife  and  daughter  conjure  as  they  please  ;  but  who  knows 
whether  I  should  find  myself  as  comfortable  on  velvet  and 
springs?" 

Frau  Feinberg  was  annoyed  by  his  remarks,  but  the  Pro- 
fessor said,  courteously,  "Why  should  you  call  it  superstition  ? 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  105 

It  is  certain  that  we  depend  mentally,  in  some  measure,  upon 
our  outward  surroundings,  and  are  sometimes  actual  slaves  to 
trifles.  A  new  carpet  in  my  study  might  render  me  in- 
capable for  days  of  bestowing  due  attention  upon  my  books 
or  writing ;  and  an  error  in  a  merchant's  accounts  is  not  as 
readily  corrected  as  a  mistake  in  a  scholar's  manuscript." 

"  A  mistaken  order  can  throw  a  whole  regiment  into  con- 
fusion," said  Herr  von  Otten ;  and  Herr  von  Oschersdorf 
remarked,  carefully  wiping  his  moustache  after  his  glass  of 
Canary,  "  Well,  I  don't  know ;  I  think  I  can  read  my  novel 
as  easily  on  one  sofa  as  another,  always  provided  that  it  is  not 
stupid." 

"How  can  you  read  novels  at  all?"  asked  the  Recorder; 
and  the  conversation  was  turned  into  another  channel. 

Moritz  Amberger  and  Otto  Feinberg  both  sat  silent.  The 
former  received  hardly  a  crumb  of  the  lively  conversation  that 
his  betrothed  carried  on  with  the  Professor,  and,  after  making 
several  fruitless  attempts  to  join  in  it,  he  rather  sulkily  devoted 
himself  to  his  dinner.  Otto  Feinberg  treated  the  Professor 
with  great  reserve.  He  could  not  believe  that  he  was  visiting 
the  town  simply  for  the  sake  of  amusement ;  it  seemed  to  him 
significant  that  he  had  been  seen  at  the  Wiesels',  and  had  here 
called  nowhere  except  at  the  Ambergers'.  He  put  together 
this  and  that,  and  the  result,  although  hardly  clear,  was  by  no 
means  to  his  taste.  He  felt  it  best  to  preserve  a  very  formal 
demeanour  in  his  presence.  Schonrade  certainly  had  no  desire 
to  alter  this. 

"What  is  that  remarkable  building?"  he  asked,  looking 
through  the  wall  of  glass ;  "  the  one  to  the  left,  upon  the 
hill.  It  is  too  far  off  for  me  to  decipher  those  architectural 
hieroglyphs." 

Dr.  Sperling  cleared  his  throat ;  here  was  water  for  the  Re- 
corder's mill.  "  That  is  the  ruin  of  Honeburg,  Herr  Profes- 
sor," he  explained,  "  formerly  a  massive  structure,  as  may  still 
E* 


10G  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

be  seen  from  its  remains,  consisting  at  present  of  only  a  small 
part  of  the  ancient  main  building,  and  a  portion  of  the  watch- 
tower,  which  once  arose  to  a  height  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  feet  above  the  top  of  the  hill,  which  there  commands  the 
river." 

"Why  not  one  hundred  and  twenty  -four  feet?"  Sidonie 
asked,  pertly. 

"  One  hundred  and  twenty-three  feet,  Fraulein  Sidonie," 
the  old  man  insisted,  with  great  gravity.  "  In  the  archives  of 
the  town  the  account  is  preserved  of  how  the  castle  was  first 
injured  by  the  town  in  1478,  when  the  Freiherr  Botho  von 
Honeburg  was  taken  prisoner  by  mounted  towns-folk.  It  is  all 
recorded  there  how  that  the  tower  was  never  again  rebuilt  to 
its  previous  height,  although  the  town  suffered  severely  after- 
wards from  many  a  lord  of  Honeburg.  You  must  know  that 
the  castle  was  called  Honeburg  because  it  was  built  for  an 
insult*  to  the  town,  and  that  at  one  time  the  lord  of  Honeburg 
stretched  an  iron  chain  across  the  river,  which  could  only  be 
removed,  giving  free  passage  to  vessels,  upon  payment  of  a 
heavy  toll.  Those  were  hard  times,  and  the  Ambergers  were 
often  forced  to  take  arms  with  their  fellow-citizens  to  protect 
themselves." 

''  That  would  never  have  done  for  you,  Moritz,"  Sidonie 
said,  with  a  sneer. 

"  To  what  use  could  we  put  our  valiant  military,"  he  replied, 
with  a  glance  towards  the  two  officers,  "  if  we  bankers  donned 
sword  and  helmet  ?" 

"  The  feud  between  the  town  and  the  Honeburg  was  pro- 
longed through  centuries,"  the  learned  Recorder  continued  ; 
"  indeed,  there  never  was  a  formal  end  put  to  it.  The  chain, 
to  be  sure,  that  once  spanned  the  river,  now  hangs  in  our  town 
hall,  and  since  the  Thirty  Years'  War  there  has  been  no  clashing 

*  "  Holm,"  the  German  for  "  insult." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  107 

of  hostile  steel  on  the  meadows  beyond  the  ancient  fosse.  Not 
far  from  here  you  can  see  the  old  gate  through  which  we  usu- 
ally sallied  forth  to  meet  our  foes ;  it  has  always  been  called 
the  green  gate,  from  its  colour,  and  many  an  inscription  on  its 
battered  surfaco  tells  of  bloody  encounters  upon  the  bridge 
beyond  it,  and  upon  the  other  side  of  the  fosse.  The  gate  has 
not  stirred  upon  its  ancient  hinges  for  many  years,  and  the 
iron  portcullis  was  removed  long  since ;  in  later  times  the  strife 
was  continued  with  other  weapons.  The  Freiherrs  lost  their 
wealth,  borrowed  of  the  town,  could  not  repay  their  debt,  and 
were  obliged  to  mortgage  acre  after  acre  of  the  castle  territory. 
Lawsuits  innumerable  ensued  ;  expensive  executions  and  all 
kinds  of  ruinous  processes  at  last  left  the  Von  Honeburgs  im- 
poverished courtiers  and  soldiers,  with  nothing  to  testify  to 
their  past  greatness  but  the  possession  of  those  ruins  and  the 
sandy  hill  between  the  town  and  the  river, — certainly  not  an 
enviable  piece  of  property.  But  the  old  aristocrats  could  not 
rest  content,  and  continued  their  quarrels  with  our  towns-folk 
until  lately.  We  have  hardly  been  quit  of  them  thirty  years.'' 

"Are  any  of  their  descendants  living?"  asked  the  Pro- 
fessor, not  without  interest. 

"  The  last  Freiherr  von  Honeburg  whom  we  can  remember 
was  a  very  gay  young  officer,"  replied  Dr.  Sperling,  shrugging 
his  shoulders.  "  He  had  an  affair  with  the  daughter,  or  rather 
adopted  daughter,  of  a  most  honourable  and  patrician  mer- 
chant, Egidius  Kostling,  whose  house  and  garden  you  may  see 
there  near  the  green  gate,  and  made  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in 
his  time.  But  that  is  a  long  story."  He  was  not  requested  to 
tell  it.  In  the  mean  time  the  ices  had  been  served.  Herr  von 
Otten  reached  across  the  table  and  offered  one  end  of  an  ex- 
plosive bonbon  to  Sidonie,  saying,  "  Let  us  recall  the  ancient 
feud  with  the  Honeburg  by  a  salvo  of  artillery."  There  was 
a  laugh, — bonbon  after  bonbon  exploded,  and  the  hostess  arose 
from  table  amid  a  most  warlike  rattle. 


108  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

The  guests  separated  into  groups.  The  host  returned  to  his 
•wheeled  chair,  and  was  soon  buried  in  his  newspapers.  Otto 
Feinberg  offered  the  gentlemen  cigars,  and  carried  off"  the  two 
officers  into  the  garden,  whispering,  "  Be  careful,  my  child !" 
into  Sidonie's  ear  as  he  passed  her.  Madame  Feinberg  ordered 
coffee  to  be  served  in  the  balcony  of  the  old  tower,  retained 
Moritz  by  her  side,  and  began  a  conversation  with  the  old 
Recorder.  Sidonie  walked  through  the  dining-hall  with  the 
Professor. 

"  You  have  seen  nothing  of  the  old  house,"  she  said,  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  all ;  "and  yet  it  is  twice  as  worthy  of 
your  inspection  as  this  addition.  Come,  and  I  will  be  your 
cicerone." 

She  put  her  hand  within  his  arm  and  conducted  him  through 
open  folding-doors  into  the  adjoining  room,  thence  through 
a  dimly-lighted  corridor  to  a  suite  of  apartments  the  windows 
of  which  looked  out  upon  the  street  and  the  narrow  alley  lead- 
ing to  the  tower.  The  furniture  was  everywhere  luxurious, 
but  not  distinguished  by  any  special  originality.  The  young 
lady  hastened  on,  merely  saying,  with  a  shrug,  "  My  mother's 
taste,"  until  they  reached  a  flight  of  six  or  eight  steps  deco- 
rated charmingly  with  drapery  and  flowers,  and  leading  ap- 
parently through  a  very  thick  wall.  In  a  niche  on  either  side 
stood  a  statue.  "  Here  my  Tusculum  begins,"  said  Sidonie, 
taking  her  hand  from  his  arm  and  going  before  him. 

They  passed  through  several  apartments  large  and  small, 
with  high  vaulted  ceilings  and  arched  windows  with  deep 
embrasures.  The  Professor  approached  one  of  these  and  looked 
out.  Beneath  him  was  the  balcony  where  the  servants  were 
placing  the  coffee-table,  on  one  side  the  glass  wall  of  the  dining- 
hall,  and  in  front  a  distant  view  beyond  the  old  fosse.  He  saw 
that  he  was  in  the  tower,  which  had  been  skilfully  connected 
with  the  house.  "  This  is  my  drawing-room,"  she  explained, 
"  this,  my  library,  and  here  I  have  a  little  armory."  As  she 


THE   GlfEEN  GATE.  109 

spoke,  she  drew  aside  a  curtain  hanging  before  a  deep  recess, 
where  were  arrayed  upon  the  wall  old  shields,  swords,  and 
crossbows,  with  some  very  handsome  pistols  richly  inlaid  with 
silver  and  ivory. 

"  You  are  a  good  shot,  I  suppose  ?"  Schb'nrade  remarked, 
with  a  smile. 

"  Each  of  my  follies  has  had  its  day,"  she  replied.  "  This 
one  went  out  of  fashion  some  time  ago." 

The  Professor  looked  around  him  with  the  air  of  a  man 
prompted  rather  by  courtesy  than  by  curiosity.  A  single 
glance  sufficed  to  show  that  these  objects  in  the  several  rooms 
had  their  place  there  more  in  the  way  of  decoration  than  with 
any  eye  to  their  use. 

The  library  contained  rows  of  volumes  in  the  costliest  bind- 
ings, all  shining  with  fresh  gilding.  The  little  studio  would 
have  delighted  a  painter ;  everything  needed  was  at  hand, — 
even  to  the  life-size  lay -figure  draped  in  heavy  woollen  stuff  and 
maintaining  an  attitude  that  could  certainly  have  been  taken 
by  none  but  limbs  of  wood ;  but  the  easel  looked  as  though  it 
were  innocent  of  any  picture  save  the  one  in  a  half-finished 
state  at  present  reposing  upon  it,  and  which  could  hardly  have 
been  painted  by  the  untouched  brushes  thrust  into  the  thumb- 
hole  of  the  palette  that  lay  close  by. 

Schb'nrade  did  not  venture  to  ask  if  she  were  also  an 
artist.  Sidonie  took  from  a  stand  a  portfolio,  opened  it 
upon  a  table  in  front  of  a  lounge,  and,  motioning  the  Pro- 
fessor to  be  seated,  asked,  "  Are  you  fond  of  engravings  ? 
Here  are  some  rare  pictures,  if  our  connoisseurs  are  to  be 
trusted." 

He  sat  down  and  turned  over  a  few.  "  I  am  no  connoisseur," 
he  said,  merely  glancing  at  them. 

"  Nor  am  I,"  she  rejoined,  with  an  affectation  of  candour ; 
"  but  I  can  tell  something  about  these,  like  a  parrot  that  has 

learned  its  lesson.  Here,  for  instance "  She  came  closer 

10 


110  THE   GREEti  GATE. 

and  almost  leaned  upon  his  shoulder,  to  direct  his  attention  to 
the  stippling  of  a  Cleopatra. 

lie  disliked  being  here  alone  with  Sidonie ;  he  would  have 
disliked  still  more  to  be  discovered  here  with  her  by  any  of  the 
guests.  He  turned  over  the  prints  still  more  hastily,  merely 
lifting  the  corners  of  some  of  them,  as  if  to  show  how  impos- 
sible it  would  be  to  examine  the  entire  collection. 

Sidonie  turned  away,  drew  from  a  cabinet  against  the  wall 
a  shallow  drawer  and  placed  it  upon  the  table.  It  contained  a 
collection  of  minerals,  neatly  arranged, — a  bought  collection, 
in  short.  "This  is  in  your  line,"  she  said,  sitting  down  beside 
him,  "  and  will  interest  you."  She  was  mistaken,  the  man 
of  science  detested  all  dilettanteism ;  but  she  had  gained  her 
point :  he  did  not  rise. 

"  Is  it  true  that  you  leave  us  to-morrow  ?"  she  asked,  as  he 
courteously  examined  one  specimen  after  another. 

"  Most  probably,  Fraulein  Feinberg." 

"  Possibly  not,  then  ?" 

"  My  business  will  be  concluded  to-day." 

"  Give  us  a  few  more  days,  Herr  Professor.  I  will  promise 
you  an  excursion  upon  the  river  that  shall  be  delightful." 

"  You  are  kindness  itself,  but  I  cannot  interrupt  my  home 
labours  for  so  long." 

"  That  is  a  mere  excuse.  Confess  that  you  do  not  find  us 
especially  agreeable." 

"  How  could  I  entertain  sentiments  so  ungrateful  ?" 

She  looked  askance  at  him.  "  Between  ourselves,  I  am  not 
very  fond  of  this  place  myself.  I  should  like  to  go  to  Berlin  ; 
although  perhaps  not,  like  my  future  sister-in-law,  to  Coun- 
cillor Wiesel's.  Frau  Wiesel  is  a  fool." 

Her  mention  of  Kiitharina  affected  him  unpleasantly;  he 
led  away  from  it.  "  Where  could  you  be  happier  or  more  com- 
fortable than  in  this  luxurious  home?" 

Sidonie  sighed.     "  Believe  me,  I  grow  very  tired  of  it  all. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  Ill 

I  like  well  enough  to  arrange  it,  but  when  it  is  finished  there 
is  nothing  left  but  the  pleasure  of  showing  it,  and  I  had  enough 
of  that  long  ago." 

"  You  prize  the  gifts  of  fortune  too  lightly,  Fraulein  Fein- 
berg.  You  do  not  appreciate  the  possession  of  means  sufficient 
to  enable  you  to  shape  your  surroundings  as  you  please.  You 
do  not  know  what  it,  is  to  be  forced  to  deny  yourself." 

A  sigh  still  more  profound.  "  I  do  not  know  what  it  is  to 
be  forced  to  deny  myself !  Ah,  how  little  you  know  me,  Herr 
Professor  !  How  poor  and  unsatisfactory  all  this  frippery  often 
seems  to  me  !  I  know  that  I  should  have  been  happier  if  I 
were  still  surrounded  by  the  poverty  to  which  I  was  born.  I 
should  not  then  have  resigned,  what  I  continually  miss  and  long 
for,  but  what  can  never  be  mine, — a  genuine  interest  in  life." 

This  was  the  same  elegiac  mood  that  had  so  startled  him 
upon  the  lake.  It  did  not  seem  entirely  assumed ;  it  might 
be  in  some  measure  the  result  of  genuine  feeling.  If  his 
heart  had  been  free,  he  might  seriously  have  pitied  her  at  such 
a  moment,  and  there  might  have  thus  arisen  a  bond  of  sym- 
pathy between  them  that  even  a  change  of  her  mood  might 
have  failed  to  sever.  As  it  was,  these  sudden  appearances  of 
hers  in  a  character  seemingly  foreign  to  her  nature,  annoyed 
and  embarrassed  him  excessively ;  little  prone  as  he  was  to 
self-conceit,  they  seemed  to  him  baits  held  out  to  win  him  from 
his  intentional  reserve. 

"It  is  easy  enough,"  he  said,  more  harshly  than  he  in- 
tended, "  to  desire  as  an  advantage  that  which  is  universally 
regarded  as  a  bar  to  the  enjoyment  of  existence,  if  we  are  per- 
f  ctly  sure  that  our  lives  will  always  be-without  it." 

She  leaned  her  elbows  upon  the  table,  and  her  strange  eyes 
looked  full  and  seriously  into  his  own.  "  Perhaps  you  are 
right,"  she  said.  "  It  is  easy.  But  does  it  follow  that  this  con- 
stant longing  is  any  the  less  painful  ?  Suppose,  for  example, 
that  a  girl  longs  to  be  a  man, — is  she  not  wretched  in  the 


112  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

consciousness  of  the  impossibility  of  ever  attaining  her  desire, 
even  although  the  world  may  regard  her  as  the  most  fortunate 
of  beings  ?" 

"  I  suppose  it  is  so,"  he  said,  examining  attentively  a  speci- 
men of  quartz. 

"  I  long  to  be  a  man  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  Laugh  if  you  will, 
I  have  seriously  reflected  whether  it  would  not  be  worth  the 
trouble  to  simulate  at  least  what  I  never  can  become.  I  might 
have  studied,  have  proved  life  in  its  profoundcst  depths,  have 
travelled  widely  !  Aha !  easy  enough,  are  they  not,  these 
dreams  ?  Do  you  know  that  I  have  even  arranged  the  small 
details  of  the  existence  that  might  have  been  mine  ?  I  per- 
petrated, in  imagination,  the  maddest  freaks,  broke  with  my 
parents,  outraged  society,  made  myself  unendurable  as  a  girl, 
to  be  allowed  to  do  as  I  chose.  Still  it  might  all  have  failed. 
Ah,  you  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  be  the  only  child  of 
wealthy  parents !" 

He  crumbled  off  little  fragments  of  the  mineral  in  his  hand 
and  dropped  them  into  the  drawer.  "  Excuse  me,"  he  said, 
still  more  embarrassed  by  her  manner,  "  but  these  are  danger- 
ous whims !" 

"  I  wish  I  could  find  some  one  to  chase  them  from  my 
brain,"  she  said,  as  if  to  herself,  casting  down  her  eyes ; 
"  perhaps  I  should  not  wish  to  develop  the  ideal  in  myself, 
if  I  could  find  it  embodied  elsewhere.  I  am  capable,  I  think, 
of  an  entire  resignation  of  self."  Suddenly  she  broke  off, 
took  the  piece  of  quartz  out  of  his  hands,  threw  it  into  the 
drawer,  and  said,  in  an  altered  voice,  "  Why  do  you  play  with 
that  stupid  stone  ?  It  annoys  me  !"  He  started  and  looked 
up  at  her  in  surprise,  like  a  child  detected  in  mischief.  Sh  > 
seemed  to  regret  what  she  had  done,  for  she  hastily  gathered 
up  a  handful  of  minerals  from  the  drawer  and  put  them  into 
his  hand,  pressing  it  with  both  her  own.  ''  There,  play  as  much 
as  you  choose,"  she  exclaimed,  "  but  listen  to  me  1" 


THE   ORE  EN  GATE.  113 

The  Professor  was  about  to  reply,  when  Moritz  Amberger 
drew  aside  the  portiere  and  entered  the  room.  He  looked 
vexed,  and  said,  coldly,  "  Your  mother  wishes  to  know  whether 
she  shall  send  your  coffee  up  to  you,  since  it  runs  a  chance  of 
growing  cold  before  you  come  down  to  drink  it." 

"  Mamma  sent  no  such  message,"  Sidonie  replied,  darting 
an  angry  look  at  him  as  she  arose. 

"  Well,  then,  I  brought  it  on  my  own  account,"  he  rejoined. 
"  I  would  suggest  that  you  should  not  entirely  monopolize  the 
Herr  Professor." 

"  And  I  would  suggest,"  she  retaliated,  "  that  you  should 
not  intrude  upon  my  special  domain  unannounced." 

All  trace  of  colour  left  his  good-humoured  face.  "  This  to 
me,"  he  stammered, —  :-  and  before  a  stranger  !" 

Sidonie  seemed  to  fear  she  had  gone  too  far.  "  The  Herr 
Professor  is  no  stranger,  but  a  friend,"  she  said,  more  com- 
posedly, with  a  troubled  glance  at  his  grave,  disapproving  face. 

"  Then  permit  me,"  he  said,  "  to  act  the  part  of  one,  and  to 
entreat  you  to  repair,  arm-in-arm,  as  a  betrothed  couple  should, 
to  the  coffee-table.  I  can  find  the  way  by  myself." 

She  reflected  a  moment,  and  then  offered  her  hand  to 
Moritz,  with  a  loud  laugh.  "  How  he  stands  !"  she  exclaimed, 
apparently  once  more  in  excellent  humour, — "  like  some  poor 
penitent  praying  for  mercy.  Courage  !  courage  !  I  graciously 
pardon."  She  took  his  arm,  and  turning,  as  she  reached  the 
snail  flight  of  steps,  nodded  to  the  Professor  :  "It  was  your 
wish." 

This  hasty  interruption  was  the  consequence  of  a  conversa- 
tion that  Otto  Feinberg  had  held  with  Moritz.  He  remarked 
the  lengthened  absence  of  the  pair,  and  added  that  the  Pro- 
fessor was  not  to  be  trusted.  The  officers  contributed  their 
mite  to  Moritz's  annoyance  by  their  badinage,  and  he  forgot 
the  part  which  he  had  played  so  well  hitherto,  and  gave  occa- 
sion for  the  war  of  words  in  which,  as  we  have  seen,  he  hardly 

10* 


114  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

came  off  conqueror ;  and  he  was  painfully  aware  of  this  as  he 
conducted  his  betrothed  to  the  other  guests.  There  was  no 
trace,  however,  of  the  scene  just  enacted  in  the  demeanour 
of  those  chiefly  interested.  Sidonie  jested  gayly  about  the  cold 
coffee,  Schonrade  gratified  his  hostess  by  his  admiration  of 
her  house,  and  Moritz  described  how  he  had  found  the  Pro- 
fessor absorbed  in  an  inspection  of  Sidonie's  minerals.  As  soon 
as  Schonrade  could  find  an  opportunity,  he  whispered  to  him, 
"  When  can  I  speak  alone  with  you  ?  I  have  an  important 
communication  to  make."  Amberger  looked  fixedly  at  him 
for  an  instant,  pondering  what  it  could  possibly  be,  and  then 
said,  somewhat  grandiloquently,  as  if  a  duel  were  in  prospect, 
"  I  am  at  your  service,  sir."  And  the  Professor's  reply  seemed 
to  hint  at  the  same  possibility, — "  Appoint  time  and  place,  if 
you  please," — only  there  was  not  a  shade  of  hostility  observable 
in  his  expression,  which  might,  indeed,  have  been  assumed. 

They  walked  for  awhile  in  the  garden,  and  then  the  guests 
took  leave.  "  This  is  not  the  last  time  we  shall  meet,"  Sidonie 
declared  confidently  to  the  Professor,  and  her  eyes  flashed  and 
sparkled.  "  If  you  do  not  come  here,  we  shall  go  to  Berlin." 
And  her  mother  added,  "  Pray  feel  yourself  entirely  at  home 
in  this  house  as  long  as  you  are  in  town,  my  dear  Herr  Pro- 
fessor. You  may  be  sure  of  always  finding  nature,  pure 
nature,  here.  Am  I  not  right?"  He  judged  silence  to  ba 
his  best  reply. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  H5 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

IN  the  street  Schonrade  joined  Moritz  Amberger,  taking 
leave  of  the  others,  after  courteously  thanking  the  old  Recorder 
for  his  interesting  information  with  regard  to  the  Honeburg. 
"  Where  shall  we  go  ?"  he  asked.  "  To  my  hotel  ?" 

"  My  house  is  nearer,"  the  merchant  replied,  gravely,  "  and 
we  shall  be  perfectly  quiet  there."  The  Professor  assented, 
and  they  walked  on  in  silence  until  they  reached  the  Amberger 
mansion.  Here  Moritz  produced  a  key,  that  admitted  them 
by  a  side-door. 

They  were  soon  seated  comfortably  in  a  small  room,  fitted 
up  as  a  special  retreat  for  its  bachelor  owner.  "  I  suspect," 
Schonrade  began,  "  that  in  your  secret  soul  you  do  not  acquit 
me  of  conducting  myself  towards  your  betrothed  with  a  want 
of  due  consideration  for  yourself  as  her  lover.  Am  I  not 
right?" 

Moritz  had  by  no  means  recovered  from  the  insult  Sidonie 
had  offered  him,  and  half  a  dozen  plans  for  repairing  his 
wounded  honour  in  the  stranger's  estimation  had  been  chasing 
one  another  through  his  brain.  But  they  were  all  very  vague 
and  shadowy,  and  he  now  replied,  with  more  composure  than 
might  have  been  expected,  "  Sidonie  finds  a  peculiar  gratifica- 
tion in  meeting,  as  it  were,  upon  equal  terms,  any  interesting 
man  whom  chance  brings  in  her  way.  I  can  make  no  objection 
to  this,  since  I  myself  never  belonged  to  the  number  of  those 
thus  singled  out ;  my  relations  to  her,  being  of  a  quite  different 
nature,  are  not  at  all  interfered  with.  But  the  estimation  in 
which  she  is  held  by  others  cannot  be  a  matter  of  indifference 
to  me,  and  as,  since  you  leave  here  so  shortly,  you  can  scarcely 
have  any  opportunity  of  seeing  how  little 


116  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

He  hesitated ;  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to  finish  the  sentence 
without  either  compromising  himself  or  insulting  his  compan- 
ion. The  Professor  came  to  his  assistance.  "  Pray  conclude,'1 
he  said,  with  a  smile ;  "  you  need  not  be  at  all  afraid  of  dis- 
pelling any  illusions  of  mine.  For  your  entire  satisfaction,  let 
me  tell  you,  if  you  have  been  suspecting  a  possible  Don  Juan 
in  me,  that  at  present  I  am  protected  in  armour  of  triple  steel 
against  the  lightnings  of  the  finest  eyes  in  the  world,  and  am 
incapable  of  deserving  the  trouble  that  feminine  caprice  might 
expend  upon  me  only  to  make  me  a  target  for  ridicule  after 
wards.  In  a  word,  I  come  here  as  a  suitor." 

Moritz  entirely  forgot  his  diplomatic  look,  opened  his  eyes 

wide,  and  stared  in  surprise.  "  As  a ?"  Then  suddenly  a 

load  seemed  taken  from  his  mind  ;  all  his  muscles  relaxed,  and 
he  reclined  comfortably  in  his  chair.  "  May  I  congratulate  you, 
my  dear  fellow  ?  may  I  congratulate  you  ?!' 

The  Professor  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  That  depends 
upon  your  'yes'  or  '  no,'  "  he  said,  looking  him  directly  in  the 
eye. 

"Upon  my  'yes'  or  'no'?"  the  young  man  asked,  bewil- 
dered. "  What  do  you  mean  ?" 

Schiinrade  craved  his  attention,  and  then  unfolded  all  his 
hopes  and  wishes  with  regard  to  Katrine,  recapitulated  his  con- 
versation with  Frau  Amberger,  and  ended  by  entreating  him 
not  to  act  in  accordance  with  "  prejudices  which  the  world  had 
outgrown." 

At  first  Moritz  was  influenced  by  the  delight  he  felt  at  his 
own  escape  from  danger ;  he  nodded  kindly  from  time  to  time ; 
but  gradually  these  nods  became  rarer,  he  cast  an  embarrassed 
glance  now  and  then  at  the  speaker,  and  finally  the  spirit  of  op- 
position asserted  itself  in  frequent  interruptions  of  "  But ," 

and  "  One  moment,  my  dear  fellow ,"  so  that  the  Professor 

had  some  trouble  in  bringing  his  discourse  to  an  end.  When  he 
had  finished,  Amberger  rose,  and  walked  to  and  fro  in  the  room, 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  117 

saying,  "  But  this  is  most  unfortunate, — most  unfortunate ; 
not  in  itself, — good  heavens !  not  in  itself;  but  as  matters 
stand," — he  ran  his  fingers  through  his  fair  hair, — "as  matters 
stand, — you  don't  know — you  can't  know — oh,  most  unfor- 
tunate !" 

Schonrade  waited  in  silence  until  he  stood  still  before  him, 
and  said,  more  sensibly  and  collectedly,  "  As  for  my  mother's 
objections,  they  are  mere  nonsense, — not  to  be  disrespectful, 
hereditary  folly  !  Patricians  !  What  are  patricians  ?  Those 
times  are  past.  We  are  all  towns-folk,  some  with  rather  larger 
incomes  than  others.  One  has  something,  and  another  nothing, 
— and  many  a  one  who  has  nothing  is  more  of  a  man  than 
those  who  have  something."  The  Professor  sat  quietly  regard- 
ing him  in  silence.  He  had  said  all  that  he  had  to  say.  At 
last  Amberger  noisily  pushed  a  chair  near  his  guest,  seated 
himself  in  it,  and  seized  his  hand.  "  My  dear  Herr  Profes- 
sor," he  said,  with  a  kind  of  gasp,  "  I  like  you  very  much,  so 
far, — I  do,  upon  my  soul  I  do, — and  if  all  is  as  you  say,  and 
I  haven't  the  slightest  doubt  that  it  is,  it  would  give  me  the 
greatest  pleasure  to  call  you  brother-in-law.  Why,  in  my  opin- 
ion, my  dear  Herr  Professor,  we  are  honoured — the  house  of 
Amberger  is  greatly  honoured — by  such  a  proposal  from  a  dis- 
tinguished man  like  yourself.  But — but "  He  jumped 

up,  then  seated  himself  again  immediately,  and  continued,  in 
quite  a  changed  tone,  "  Let  us  lay  aside  all  disguises.  I  am 
one  man,  you  are  another ;  let  us  talk  together  as  man  to  man. 
Why  should  I  inspire  you  with  false  hopes  ?  It  cannot  be, — 
believe  me,  it  cannot  be.  Even  if  I  liked  you  far  better  than 
I  do,  it  could  not  be.  And  I  will  tell  you  why, — I  will  tell 
you  why  frankly,  as  my  regard  for  you  dictates ;  and  I  may 
rely  upon  your  discretion,  my  dear  fellow,  may  I  not?" 

Schonrade  gave  him  the  desired  assurance  as  to  his  discre- 
tion, and  Moritz  continued :  "  We  were  talking  to-day  of  my 
business  relations  with  Feinberg,  and,  if  I  remember  rightly,  I 


118  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

called  myself  his  left  hand.  Now,  to  be  perfectly  frank  with  you, 
it  is  no  longer  a  voluntary  matter  with  me  whether  I  will  be  his 
left  hand  or  not.  If  I  cease  to  be  his  left  hand,  I  am  nothing, 
— no  more  on  'Change  than  a  severed  limb  to  a  body.  A  hu- 
miliating confession  enough  for  the  head  of  the  house  of  Am- 
berger,  confound  it !  I  feel  that,  but  I  know  what  I  say.  My 
mother  has  no  suspicion  of  it ;  with  her  old-fashioned  views 
she  could  not  understand  it.  There  is  no  danger  so  long  as  we 
are  good  friends,  but  good  friends  we  must  remain.  Do  you 
suppose  that  I  would  tolerate  Sidonie's  insufferable  caprice 
for —  He  paused,  perhaps  startled  by  his  own  temerity, 

but  collected  himself  instantly,  and  continued :  "  Why,  you 
have  eyes,  and  know  how  to  use  them ;  what  need  is  there  to 
tell  you  what  you  must  know  as  well  as  I  do  ?  Sidonie's  whims 
are  countless,  and  I  must  bear  the  brunt  of  them,  for  I  am 
powerless  to  remonstrate.  I  tmist  endure  them, — it  is  my  fate, 
at  least  until  after  our  marriage.  I  am  so  deeply  involved  with 
Ignaz  Feinberg  that  I  cannot  retreat  without  ruining  myself, 
— entirely  ruining  myself.  To-day  I  am  a  man  of  weight  on 
'Change,  for  he  supports  me  ;  if  he  deserts  me,  I  must  fall, 
and  drag  down  my  family  with  me." 

The'Professor  tried  to  follow  his  meaning,  but  it  was  diffi- 
cult for  him  to  «x>mprehend  complications  of  this  kind.  "  How 
did  all  this  com«  about?"  he  asked,  bewildered. 

Amberger  moved  his  chair  closer  and  laid  a  finger  on  his 
arm.  "  In  the  simplest  way  in  the  world.  I  inherited  from 
my  father  an  extensive  and  profitable  business  in  grain  and 
transportation  ;  we  owned  storehouses,  river-vessels,  sea-going 
shipg,  and  had  an  agency  in  the  nearest  seaport.  Of  late  years 
American  competition  has  been  detrimental  to  our  commerce 
in  grain  ;  there  was  more  risk  in  our  ventures.  By  Feinbcrg's 
advice,  I  closed  up  that  business,  drew  my  capital  out  of  it, 
and  invested  it  in  projects  of  which  he  approved.  Philip  took 
not  the  least  interest  in  such  matters,  but  let  me  do  as  I 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  119 

pleased.  This  banking  business,  if  successful,  constantly  in- 
duces fresh  speculation,  and  numerous  issues  of  paper.  Large 
profits  accrue ;  but  if  there  is  a  crisis,  one's  very  means  of 
living  are  endangered.  I  have  invested  wherever  Feinberg 
advised, — he  is  prudence  itself, — and  am  far  too  deeply  en- 
gaged for  my  means ;  I  ain  the  left  hand  to  another  man's 
head.  Feinberg  can  withdraw  without  overwhelming  loss, — 
I  cannot.  My  whole  aim  at  present  is  to  conceal  how  deeply 
I  am  involved." 

Sehonrade  shook  his  head  thoughtfully.  "  I  pity  you,"  he 
said,  gravely.  "  Everything  depends,  then,  upon  the  continu- 
ance of  the  tie  between  Fraulein  Sidonie  and  yourself;  and 
from  what  I  have  seen  of  her " 

Amberger  interrupted  him.  "  Did  she  say  anything  about 
it  to  you?" 

"  She  knows  her  power  over  you,  and  seems  inclined  to  use 
it  unless  you  make  every  concession  that  she  can  demand. 
And  if  you  are  so  indulgent " 

"  Don't  you  see,"  the  young  man  again  interrupted  him, 
"  that  I  am  steering  a  leaky  vessel  against  wind  and  tide  ?  I 
cannot  do  as  I  wish." 

"  I  see.     But  what  has  my  relation  with  Katharina " 

"  My  dear  fellow,  it  has  everything  in  the  world  to  do  with  it. 
Katharina  is  my  chief  stay, — unconsciously  she  is  the  cause 
why  my  position  is  not  quite  so  desperate  as  it  would  seem. 
Ignaz  Feinberg  has,  as  you  know,  a  brother  Otto,  who  is 
really  his  right  hand.  As  long  as  I  have  a  firm  hold  upon 
Otto  Feinberg,  his  brother  cannot  shake  me  off,  and  Sidonie 
must  pay  some  heed  to  what  she  does.  At  present  I  have 

thi?  firm  hold,  for  Otto  Feinberg  loves  my  sister,  and  I 

have  promised  that,  so  far  as  I  have  any  influence  over  her, 
she  shall  be  his." 

The  Professor  sprang  to  his  feet,  thoroughly  indignant. 
"  What !  you  could  give  her — your  own  sister — to  that  usurer? 


120  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

It  is  absolutely  fiendish  !  Why,  with  these  plots  and  schemes 
of  yours,  you  may  chance  to  break  her  heart, — dear,  inno- 
cent child,  with  no  thought  of  wrong,  with  no  idea  that  her 
brother  can  so  trade  away  her  life.  It  is " 

"No  matter  how  right  you  may  be,"  Moritz  interrupted 
him,  uneasily  rubbing  his  forehead,  "  there  is  no  help  for  it. 
Who  could  foresee  that  Katharina,  young  as  she  is,  would 
make  a  choice  of  her  own  ?  Why  should  she  not  have  found 
Otto  Feinberg  a  desirable  partner  for  life?  He  has  had 
abundance  of  time  and  opportunity  to  win  her.  Now  I  see 
how  unsuccessful  he  has  been,  Herr  Professor ;  to  my  terror,  I 
assure  you,  for  my  best  hold  upon  his  brother  is  gone  as  soon 
as  Otto  finds  he  has  no  hope.  Oh,  it  is  most  unfortunate !" 

"  You  certainly  would  not  force  Katharina " 

"  Force  !  force  !  How  can  I  force  her  ?  But  I  must  keep 
my  promise,  and  use,  as  I  said  I  would,  all  my  influence.  If 
Katharina,  in  defiance  of  her  father's  will,  denies  my  authority 
over  her,  I  cannot,  of  course,  force  her  to  marry  a  man  of  my 
selection  ;  but  most  assuredly  I  shall  never  give  my  consent 
to  her  marrying  any  one  else, — never  !  Otto  Feinberg,  now 
my  friend,  would  then  be  my  enemy,  and  I  should  be  lost." 

Schonrade  folded  his  arms  and  tapped  his  foot  impatiently 
upon  the  floor.  "  I  expected  to  meet  with  opposition,"  he 
said,  sternly,  "  but  I  never  dreamed  of  contending  with  such 
views  as  these.  Poor  child !  Poor  child !  Is  there  no 
way " 

Amberger  grasped  his  hand.  "  Deliver  me  from  these  fet- 
ters— I  know  as  well  as  you  do  how  degrading  they  are — and 
I  will  be  eternally  grateful  to  you.  I  have  told  you  so  much 
that  I  might  as  well  confess  all.  I  tremble  at  the  idea  of  a 
union  with  Sidonie,  whom  I  do  not  love,  and  who  does  not 
love  me.  I  know  that  my  weak  good  nature  will  soon  lose 
me  all  show  of  authority  with  her,  and  my  own  self-respect 
besides.  At  times,  as  at  present,  my  whole  soul  rises  in  rebel- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  121 

lion  against  such  a  fate.  And  yet — yet — how  can  I  escape  it  ? 
How  can  I  preserve  the  honour  of  the  house  of  Aniberger  ? 
Only  show  me  how." 

The  Professor's  look  was  dark  and  stern.  "  It  seems  to  me," 
he  replied,  after  a  pause,  "  that  you  have  lost  the  courage  to 
make  yourself  master  of  the  situation,  which  you  doubtless 
were  at  the  beginning  of  your  connection  with  Feinberg. 
You  have  leaned  upon  him  so  long  that  your  own  powers 
have  rusted.  It  may  be  thus.  Throw  off  his  authority  by 
one  vigorous  effort,  and  convince  yourself  that  you  can  pro- 
ceed without  his  support." 

"  Oh,  you  are  110  merchant !"  exclaimed  Moritz.  "  No 
merchant  would  talk  thus.  You  cannot  see  the  importance 
of  this  connection,  or  how  much  must  be  thrown  overboard 
if  it  be  dissolved.  My  mother's  and  my  sister's  fortunes  are 
involved.  I  cannot  think  of  myself  only.  There  is  but  one 
possible  way,  but  one,  out  of  my  difficulty,  and  that  is  too 
chimerical  to  be  thought  of." 

"  Tell  me,  nevertheless,  what  it  is."  said  the  Professor. 

"  If  I  could  embark,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  Fein- 
bergs,  independently  of  them,  in  some  commercial  project  of 
vast  importance,  and  obtain  firm  footing  there,  I  should  com- 
pel their  respect.  The  undertaking  must  be  sufficiently  large 
to  make  their  friendship  or  their  hostility  alike  a  matter  of  in- 
difference to  me ;  and  it  is  hardly  to  be  hoped  that  anything 
of  the  kind  can  be  conjured  out  of  nothing  for  my  special 
benefit.  Therefore,  my  dear  fellow,  you  must  follow  my 
example :  resign  yourself  to  the  inevitable,  and  be  thankful 
that  your  fancy  is  sufficiently  youthful  not  to  have  taken  any 
very  deep  root.  Katharina  must  see  that  it  is  impossible  for 
me  to  accede  to  her  wishes,  and  by-and-by,  when  her  heart 
has  recovered  the  loss  it  must  sustain,  she  will  be  all  the  more 
ready  to  contract  a  mariage  de  conveyance  which  is  in  every 
way " 

F  11 


122  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  Silence !"  Schonrade  exclaimed,  with  such  vehemence 
that  Morit-z  ceased  in  amazement.  "  It  is  as  degrading  for 
me  to  listen  to  such  word|  as  it  is  for  you  to  utter  them. 
I  sincerely  pitied  you,  but  I  begin  to  regret  having  done 
so.  You  are  upon  the  point  of  resigning  not  only  the  right 
of  disposing  of  your  property,  but  also  the  repose  of  your 
conscience." 

"  Herr  Professor !" 

•  "The  repose  of  your  conscience,  Herr  Amberger.  Why 
did  your  father  in  his  will  invest  you  with  such  authority  ? 
Because  he  fully  relied  upon  his  son's  integrity,  and  affection 
for  his  sister,  which  should  prompt  him  to  think  solely  of  her 
welfare,  without  any  selfish  consideration.  But  you  are  sell- 
ing your  sister — 

"  I  cannot  permit  this,  sir !" 

"  I  say  no  more.  You  know  what  I  think  ;  oppose  me  to 
the  extent  of  yowr  will  and  ability.  But  do  not  suppose  that 
I  shall  look  idly  on  and  patiently  allow  myself  to  be  thrust 
aside.  I  will  preserve  an  inviolable  secrecy  to  all  save  one, — 
Katharina  shall  know  of  your  fraternal  designs  with  regard  to 
her,  and  she  will  either  obey  the  dictates  of  her  own  heart, 
or  owe  her  unhappiness — to  your  shame  be  it  spoken — to 
you.  And  for  yourself,  be  sure  that  this  corrupt  tree  of  your 
planting  will  never  bring  forth  good  fruit." 

He  raised  his  hand  with  an  air  of  menace;  his  tall  form 
seemed  invested  with  a  kind  of  majesty  ;  he  towered  haughtily 
above  the  banker,  who  involuntarily  cowered  as  if  he  would 
have  sunk  into  the  ground.  The  jovial  expression  of  his 
good-humoured  face  had  vanished  entirely  ;  his  confession  had 
certainly  not  procured  him  absolution.  He  felt  humiliated  in 
the  presence  of  this  man  who  saw  into  his  very  soul,  and  who 
could  be  hoodwinked  by  no  such  plea  as  would  have  found 
weight  with  men  of  his  own  stamp, — how  pitiful  such  men 
seemed  to  him  at  this  moment ! 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  123 

He  would  have  given  worlds  to  be  able  to  stand  erect, 
look  the  Professor  full  in  the  face,  and  say,  "  You  are  right ; 
I  was  a  coward;  but  I  will  be  one  no  longer."  But  he  had  not 
the  courage ;  he  shut  his  eyes  and  stroked  his  chin.  "  What 
can't  be  cured  must  be  endured,"  he  thought. 
P  When  he  looked  up,  he  was  alone.  He  arose,  dipped  his 
handkerchief  in  water,  and  laid  it  upon  his  forehead.  All  his 
previous  hopes  and  expectations  seemed  mere  folly  to  him 
now.  How  could  he  ever  have  imagined  it  possible  that 
Otto  Feinberg  could  gain  his  sister  Katharina's  affection  ? 
And  how  would  Sidonie  receive  himself  after  the  events  of  the 
day  ?  What  fresh  humiliation  was  in  store  for  him  at  this 
woman's  hands  ?  What  reliance  could  he  place  upon  Fein- 
berg's  friendship  ?  To  whom  could  he  turn  ?  What  was  to 
be  the  end  of  it  all  ? 

His  excellent  physique  and  the  wine  he  had  taken  at  din- 
ner fortunately  solved  these  questions  for  him  for  the  present, 
— he  fell  asleep. 

Schbnrade  could  not  so  soon  find  repose  from  his  torment- 
ing reflections.  After  he  had  hastily  left  the  room  and  the 
house,  he  began  to  regret  the  violence  into  which  he  had  been 
betrayed,  and  which  had  perhaps  closed  the  door  of  approach 
for  him  to  Katharina's  family.  He  remembered  with  a  sigh 
her  close  association  with  these  people,  upon  whom  he  must 
have  produced  anything  but  a  favourable  impression.  He  could 
not  even  tell  her,  without  wounding  her,  what  a  pitiable  figure 
her  brother  Moritz  had  presented  during  his  interview  with 
him.  And  should  she  know  that  he  had  parted  from  him 
in  anger,  what  could  she  think  of  such  a  quick-tempered, 
impractical  lover?  He  paused  for  a  moment,  half  inclined  to 
retrace  his  steps.  "  But  it  would  do  no  good  ;  the  arguments 
of  each  have  no  force  with  the  other,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  Let  matters  take  their  course." 

He  walked  on,  at  first  with  hasty  strides,  as  if  anxious  to 


124  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

put  as  much  distance  as  possible  between  the  Amberger  man- 
sion and  himself,  then  gradually  more  slowly.  He  did  not 
think  again  of  returning,  but,  as  he  reflected,  Moritz  seemed 
to  him  more  and  more  excusable.  A  suitor  for  his  sister's 
hand,  suddenly  appearing  to  the  detriment  of  all  his  plans  and 
expectations,  could  hardly  be  anything  but  extremely  unwel- 
come to  him,  and  when  these  plans  and  expectations  were  first 
formed  he  could  have  had  no  possible  idea  that  Professor 
Schonrade  would  lose  his  heart  during  a  visit  at  Councillor 
Wiesel's.  It  certainly  was  matter  for  gratitude  that  he  had 
not  dismissed  him  with  the  usual  set  phrases,  but  had  laid 
bare  the  most  secret  troubles  of  his  life,  that  he  might  explain 
his  refusal  of  his  suit.  And  the  poor  fellow  was  greatly  to  be 
pitied.  Nature  had  formed  him  for  an  easy,  good-humoured 
enjoyment  of  existence ;  he  would  have  been  perfectly  con- 
tent never  to  soar  aboTe  the  commonplace  ;  but  in  an  evil  hour 
he  had  been  induced  to  resign  the  certain  profits  of  his  father's 
business  to  embark  upon  the  high  seas  of  speculation,  and  to 
propose  to  Sidonie  Feinberg  to  share  his  home,  as  if  she  had 
been  the  unassuming  daughter  of  some  well-to-do  merchant. 
And  Sidonie  !  what  pains  she  took  to  show  her  lover  that  she 
wore  his  betrothal-ring  solely  from  caprice ! 

When  he  looked  around  him,  he  found  himself  in  a  quarter 
of  the  town  of  which  he  was  entirely  ignorant.  Before  him 
stretched  a  long  narrow  street,  lined  on  each  side  with  tall 
houses,  and  growing  still  narrower  towards  the  end,  where  it 
was  spanned  by  a  gateway.  He  pondered  what  he  should 
do.  His  business  in  the  town  was  finished  ;  he  could  leave  at 
any  moment.  But  the  next  train  to  Berlin  left  in  the  night, 
and  was  not  an  express  train.  He  had  nothing  to  do,  and  yet 
the  evening  must  be  passed  after  some  fashion.  Anything  but 
his  room  at  the  hotel !  He  would  take  a  long  walk  to  get  rid 
of  the  time ;  so  on  he  went. 

The  gateway  was  connected  on  the  left  with  a  large  man- 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  125 

sion,  the  last  in  the  street,  with  quite  a  stately  facade  retreat- 
ing some  feet  from  the  line  of  the  rest  of  the  row,  to  give  room 
for  a  massive  flight  of  stone  steps.  The  simple  arch  of  the 
gateway  was,  in  fact,  a  public  passage  beneath  a  wing  of  this 
house  that  extended  across  the  street  to  the  last  of  the  houses 
on  the  right,  beyond  which  he  observed  the  outline  of  an  an- 
cient tower,  not  altogether  unfamiliar  to  him.  Above  the  arch- 
way were  a  few  small  windows  with  tiny  panes  of  glass, — too 
few.  however,  tc  relieve  the  effect  of  the  bare,  undecorated  ex- 
panse of  wall,  topped  by  a  steep  gable,  with  its  little  window 
near  the  roof,  beneath  the  rusty  weather-cock,  that  showed  in 
transparent  letters  clear  against  the  sky  the  venerable  date 
1357.  Had  he  reached  the  famous  Green  Gate  of  which 
the  Recorder  had  spoken  ?  Its  colour  was  difficult  to  deter- 
mine ;  it  might  as  well  have  been  called  brown  as  green  ; 
many  a  year  must  have  gone  by  since  the  painter's  brush  had 
touched  it. 

He  walked  through  the  echoing  archway,  and  found  him- 
self upon  a  narrow  bridge  that  could  hardly  have  allowed  two 
carriages  to  pass  each  other.  It  certainly  must  be  the  "  Green 
Gate"  through  which  he  had  just  come,  for  in  front  of  him 
was  the  hill  crowned  by  the  ruin  of  Honeburg.  He  looked 
back  and  upwards,  directly  into  the  face,  carven  in  stone  in 
the  keystone  of  the  arch,  of  a  knight  thrusting  out  his  tongue 
maliciously.  That  must  have  irritated  many  a  Freiherr  of 
Honeburg,  he  thought  to  himself,  and  his  grave  face  relaxed 
with  a  smile.  There  were  not  lacking  inscriptions  in  Lutin 
and  in  German,  but  he  contented  himself  with  deciphering  one 
only,  which  stated  how  a  certain  Hans  Kbstling  had  main- 
tained this  bridge  with  his  single  spear  against  six  armed 
horsemen,  until  the  gate  could  be  closed  behind  him,  and  had 
then  sprung  into  the  fosse  and  swum  across  to  the  town. 

Schonrade  looked  down  into  the  fosse.  It  was  dry,  and  had 
been  converted  here,  as  at  the  Feinbergs',  into  a  garden.  Old 

11* 


126  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

trees  reared  their  branches  near  the  railing  of  the  bridge,  and 
the  walls  were  covered  with  ivy.  Far  below  him,  in  what 
had  been  the  deepest  part  of  the  ditch,  rippled  a  little  brook, 
winding  prettily  among  the  flower-beds,  and  spanned  by  rustic 
bridges.  There  was  a  distant  prospect  beyond  the  turn  of  the 
old  wall,  which  enclosed,  in  turning,  an  ancient  battlemented 
tower. 

As  the  Professor  stood  gazing  about  him,  he  became  aware, 
upon  the  gravel-walk  immediately  below  him,  of  an  old  man 
in  a  blue  broadcloth  coat  of  by-gone  fashion  and  a  close-fitting 
velvet  cap.  He  was  walking  slowly  along,  his  head  bent  upon 
his  breast,  smoking  a  long  pipe,  and  pausing  from  time  to 
time  before  a  rose-bush  or  to  look  up  at  some  tree  laden  with 
fruit.  The  most  noticeable  point  about  him  was  that  he  was 
followed  gravely  by  two  sleek,  well-fed  cats,  who  marched 
at  his  heels  like  two  dogs,  stopping  when  he  stopped  and 
continuing  their  promenade  when  he  walked  on.  Evidently 
he  was  an  old  bachelor  fond  of  animals.  But  why  had  he 
selected  cats  for  the  companions  of  his  lonely  walk  ?  This 
old  man  must  have  a  history. 

A  woman  passed  upon  the  bridge.  "Who  is  that?"  the 
Professor  asked  her,  pointing  downwards. 

"  Why,  old  Herr  Kostling,"  she  replied,  in  a  whisper. 
"Every  child  in  the  town  knows  who  he  is,"  she  added,  as 
she  pursued  her  way. 

He  was  seized  by  a  desire  to  visit  the  Honeburg  also. 
He  had  time  enough,  and  the  afternoon  was  lovely.  He  could 
certainly  reach  the  summit  of  the  hill  in  half  an  hour. 

\ 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  127 


CHAPTER    IX. 

BEYOND  the  bridge  the  road  forked.  To  the  left  it  ran 
along  the  fosse,  apparently  skirting  the  town,  and  to  the  right 
it  led  directly  across  the  fields,  towards  the  Honeburg.  Schon- 
rade  pursued  the  latter  road,  which  was  not  nearly  so  much 
worn  as  the  other.  Some  hundred  paces  farther  on,  he  passed 
a  large  tile-kiln,  and  beyond  this  the  ground  rose  considerably. 
From  the  summit  of  this  rise  the  road  turned  to  the  left, 
leading  down  to  the  river,  to  a  ferry,  where  some  tall-masted 
river-craft  lay  moored.  The  Professor  looked  this  way  and 
that,  expecting  to  find  some  path  to  the  Honeburg,  but  there 
was  nothing  between  him  and  the  ruin  but  a  strip  of  sand, 
contrasting  sharply  with  the  brown  heath  beyond,  overgrown 
with  low  juniper-bushes  and  young  birch-trees.  There  was 
not  even  a  foot-path  across  this  heath,  which  extended  to  the 
old  wall.  Schbnrade  went  back  and  inquired  of  a  man  at  the 
tile-kiln  his  road  to  the  Honeburg.  "  Oh,  no  one  goes  there !" 
was  the  laconic  reply.  He  then  determined  to  keep  his  goal 
in  view  and  march  straight  towards  it.  He  was  reminded  of 
his  pathless  future. 

The  sand  covered  a  stony  foundation  ;  here  and  there  grew 
tufts  of  thin  grayish-green  grass.  The  most  abstemious  goat 
could  not  have  found  pasturage  here.  But  farther  on  there 
was  more  tender  grass  growing,  and  pale-blue  harebells  were 
to  be  seen  among  the  juniper-bushes  on  the  brown  soil.  At 
intervals  there  was  discovered  what  at  first  sight  seemed  a 
pathway  in  the  right  direction,  but  it  always  proved  to  be 
some  old  furrow  kept  open  by  the  rain.  Many  a  year  must 
have  passed  since  the  golden  grain  had  here  waved  in  the 
wind  or  the  ploughshare  furrowed  these  meadows.  The 
birches  were  six  feet  high,  and  among  the  bushes  were  the 


128  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

stumps  of  what  had  formerly  been  large  trees.  It  produced 
a  very  strange  impression,  so  near  a  populous  town,  to  come 
upon  this  perfect  wilderness,  and  its  effect  was  heightened  by 
the  view  of  the  old  ruin,  that  loomed  larger  upon  the  vision 
as  one  approached  it,  darkening  a  portion  of  the  horizon.  A 
solitary  lark  trilled  high  in  air,  a  white  butterfly  fluttered  up 
from  a  harebell,  and  a  belated  bee  hummed  about  the  cup  of  a 
wild  flower ;  these  were  the  only  signs  of  life  around. 

The  hill  upon  which  the  castle  had  been  built,  upon  a  nearer 
approach,  was  found  to  be  rather  insignificant,  but  it  was  the 
highest  point  in  all  the  country  round,  and  commanded  the 
turn  of  the  river.  The  fosse  about  it  was  half  filled  up  and 
easily  crossed.  On  the  other  side  massive  foundations  sup- 
ported a  wall,  crowned  here  by  the  lower  portion  of  a  tower, 
its  uneven  surface  overgrown  with  wild  grape-vine.  On  this 
side  there  was  no  trace  of  gate  or  door  to  be  seen. 

The  Professor  walked  along  the  wall  to  where  it  turned  and 
made  a  corner.  Here  the  way  was  blocked  by  masses  of  fallen 
stones  and  tiles ;  two  window-slits  at  some  elevation  had  been 
boarded  up,  and  were  brushed  by  the  boughs  of  a  linden 
that  had  struggled  up  through  the  heap  of  ruins.  Farther  on 
the  wall  sloped  intermittently  to  the  foundation,  and  above  it 
nodded  and  waved  the  tops  of  old  trees,  as  if  they  were  grow- 
ing in  a  garden  within.  Here  also  no  entrance  was  to  be  seen. 
A  little  arched  doorway  of  the  olden  time  had  been  walled  up. 

On  the  southern  side,  however,  an  entirely  different  picture 
presented  itself.  Looking  quite  away  from  the  town,  and 
perfectly  protected  by  the  ruin  from  the  north  wind,  a  strip 
of  land  on  the  terraced  hill  had  been  carefully  cultivated, 
neatly  fenced  in,  and  planted  with  vegetables  of  all  kinds, 
fruit-trees,  and  grape-vines.  Lower  down  lay  small  fields  of 
potatoes  and  grain,  bounded  again  by  a  wide  extent  of  barren 
heath.  The  fosse  on  this  side  was  deeper,  but  it  had  been 
converted  into  a  shady  garden,  and  was  crossed  at  about  the 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  129 

centre  of  the  old  wall  by  a  bank  of  earth,  probably  filling  up 
the  place  where  had  stood  the  ancient  drawbridge.  Here 
there  was  a  gap  in  the  old  wall  which  had  been  repaired  by 
one  of  modern  construction,  built  of  loose  stones  and  broken 
tiles,  and  just  where  the  bank  of  earth  led  across  the  fosse  an 
opening  had  been  left  in  this  wall,  so  flanked  by  two  huge 
stones,  which  had  probably  once  formed  the  arch  of  a  port- 
cullis, that  a  wooden  door  could  be  fitted  between  them.  Two 
or  three  stone  steps  led  up  to  it. 

The  ruin  was  inhabited,  then, — to  the  no  little  surprise  of 
the  Professor,  who  could  not  remember  that  the  Recorder  or 
any  one  at  table  had  mentioned  it.  He  passed  easily  over  the 
ditch,  and  a  low  hedge  on  the  other  side,  and  then,  as  no  one 
was  to  be  seen  in  garden  or  meadow,  walked  up  to  the  door 
and  knocked  boldly.  He  was  curious  to  know  who  had  built 
a  nest  here  among  the  bats  and  owls. 

A  dog  began  to  bark  violently  from  within  as  he  knocked 
the  second  time ;  a  chain  also  rattled ;  there  was  no  danger, 
then,  of  being  attacked. 

After  awhile  a  gentle  female  voice  was  heard.  "  Be  quiet, 
Nero  !  what  is  there  to  bark  at?" 

Schonrade  knocked  again,  rather  more  softly. 

"  Is  any  one  there  ?"  the  voice  asked. 

"  A  traveller  begs  for  admittance,"  the  Professor  replied. 

"  This  is  not  an  inn,''  the  voice  returned.  "  The  town  ia 
near  at  hand,  where  there  are  lodging-houses  in  plenty." 

"  I  have  just  come  from  the  town,"  he  rejoined,  "  where  I 
am  in  an  excellent  hotel.  I  will  not  give  any  trouble." 

"  But  what  do  you  want  here,  then  ?" 

"  I  will  tell  you  when  I  am  admitted." 

"  But  I  must  know  before  you  can  be  admitted." 

The  Professor  frankly  stated  that  he  was  a  stranger,  lured 
hither  by  a  desire  to  see  the  ruins,  which  he  should  like  to 
inspect  from  within. 


130  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

"  There  is  nothing  remarkable  to  be  seen  here,"  was  the 
answer  he  received. 

"  I  am  very  tired,  and  would  be  glad  to  have  a  glass  of 
water."  He  listened  for  a  few  moments,  but  no  reply  came. 
"  Are  you  as  cautious  here  now  as  in  the  olden  time?"  he  began 
again.  "  Well,  then,  let  me  assure  you  I  bring  no  following 
of  armed  towns-folk.  I  am  quite  alone,  without  even  a  cane 
by  way  of  weapon." 

He  heard  a  low  laugh  above  him,  and,  looking  up,  saw  a 
lovely  curly  head,  that  disappeared  upon  finding  itself  observed. 

"What  is  the  matter  there,  Lena?"  a  rough  voice  called 
out  from  some  distance.  "  What  is  the  dog  barking  at,  and 
whom  are  you  speaking  to?" 

"  There  is  a  strange  gentleman  outside,  grandpapa,"  was  the 
reply,  "  asking  for  admittance." 

''  What  does  he  want?"    The  question  sounded  surly. 

"  Oh,  he  wants  to  see  the  ruins,  and  drink  some  water  from 
our  well." 

"  He  can  see  ruins  enough  outside,  and  you  may  hand  him 
out  a  mug  of  water." 

He  was  not  actually  turned  away,  then.  A  few  minutes 
afterwards  the  bolt  was  withdrawn  and  the  door  half  opened. 
A  slender  girl,  the  owner  of  the  lovely  head,  appeared  upon 
the  threshold  and  offered  the  weary  wayfarer  a  stone  mug  of 
sparkling  spring  water.  The  wide  sleeves  of  her  embroidered 
white  linen  underdress  were  rolled  up  above  the  elbow ;  her 
petticoat  was  slightly  caught  up,  showing  pretty  little  naked 
feet.  Behind  her,  on  a  slight  elevation,  stood  Nero  before  his 
kennel,  thrusting  his  shaggy  black  head  under  her  raised  arm. 
It  was  a  pretty  picture. 

Schonrade  drank  a  little  water,  but  did  not  return  the  mug 
immediately.  "  This  water  is  delicious,"  he  said,  beginning 
another  conversation,  that  he  might  have  time  to  enjoy  the 
charming  apparition. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  131 

"  Indeed  it  is,"  the  girl  replied,  with  a  smile.  "  I  think 
you  are  not  very  thirsty,  though." 

"  But  all  the  more  anxious  to  see  the  old  castle,  now  that  I 
have  made  acquaintance  with  the  chatelaine." 

"  The  true  chatelaine  is  to  be  seen  here  only  between  twelve 
and  one  at  night.  Come  by  here  at  that  time,  if  you  are  net 
afraid,  and  perhaps  she  will  wave  her  veil  from  the  balcony." 
She  laughed,  and  held  out  her  hand  for  the  mug. 

"  Stop  !"  he  exclaimed,  withdrawing  his  hand.  "  This  water 
belongs  to  me,  and  until  I  have  drunk  it  I  must  ask  questions 
and  receive  replies." 

"  Ask,  if  you  please,  then." 

"  Who  lives  in  the  Honeburg  ?" 

"  An  old  gardener,  sir,  with  his  daughter-in-law,  a  widow, 
and  his  grandchild,  whom  you  see  before  you." 

"  Is  there  any  road  from  here  to  the  town  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  but  probably  not  upon  the  side  by  which  you 
came.  There  was  an  old  feud  between  the  castle  and  the 
town,  and  there  was  always  a  waste  heath  on  that  side.  From 
here  you  go  down  to  the  river,  and  there  is  a  road  along  the 
bank  to  the  ferry.  But  pray  drink  some  more  ;  I  cannot  wait 
here  until  the  water  dries  up." 

"  And  I  cannot  come  in  ?" 

"  My  grandfather  will  not  permit  it ;  he  wishes  to  have  as 
little  to  do  as  possible  with  people  outside." 

"  Does  no  one  know,  then,  that  the  castle  is  inhabited  ?" 

The  girl  laughed.  "  We  are  not  quite  such  recluses,  and, 
indeed,  it  could  not  be  concealed.  Huckster-women  come 
here  every  morning  in  summer ;  many  a  table  in  the  town  is 
supplied  from  our  garden."  She  looked  up  at  the  sky.  "  But 
pray  give  me  the  mug,  and  make  haste  to  go.  A  storm  is 
coming  up,  and  it  may  readily  overtake  you  before  you  reach 
the  town." 

He  also  looked,  and  saw  that  she  was  right.     But  some 


132  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

mysterious  force  seemed  to  rivet  him  to  the  spot.  He  could 
not  bear  to  leave  without  accomplishing  his  purpose.  "  If 
I  should  wait  here  until  the  rain  began  to  fall,"  he  said,  in  a 
jesting  tone,  "  you  could  not  have  the  heart  to  keep  me  out 
in  the  open  air." 

She  moved  the  door  to  and  fro  upon  its  creaking  hinges,  as 
if  about  to  close  it  instantly.  "  Better  not  try,"  she  said. 

"  Why  don't  you  shut  the  door?"  the  harsh  voice  was 
heard  again,  and  a  heavy  step  approached. 

"  Here  conies  the  grandfather,"  thought  the  Professor. 
"  So  much  the  better !  I  shall  soon  know  if  I  must  go  away 
without  seeing  the  IT'oneburg." 

A  bony  hand,  placed  above  the  girl's,  opened  the  door 
wide.  A  man  with  snow-white  beard  and  hair,  but  erect  and 
powerfully  built,  pushed  her  away  and  stepped  out.  It  was 
evident  that  an  angry  remonstrance  with  the  intruder  was 
upon  his  lips ;  but  it  died  away  without  utterance.  He 
started  as  if  in  terrified  surprise  at  sight  of  the  Professor, 
knitted  his  brows,  and  stood  still,  the  picture  of  amazement. 
"  Sir,"  he  stammered. 

"  Your  grandchild  refused  me  admittance,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  and  you  look  at  me  as  if  I  were  a  ghost." 

"  A  ghost,"  he  repeated,  darting  a  keen  glance  at  the 
stranger.  "A  ghost, — it  might  well  be  so."  Then,  collecting 
himself,  and  passing  his  hand  over  his  brow,  he  asked,  "  May 
I  beg  you  to  tell  me  your  name,  sir?" 

"  Professor  Schonrade,  from  Berlin." 

The  old  man  shook  his  head  dubiously.  "  Schonrade, — Pro- 
fessor Schonrade, — no !  'Twill  not  do, — 'twill  not  do.  But 
come  in,  sir,  come  in.  Be  quiet,  Nero!  lie  is  chained. 
Strange,  very  strange !" 

Most  strange  indeed  the  Professor  thought  this  reception, 
but  he  said  nothing  for  the  present,  as  he  followed  the  old  man 
up  the  stone  steps  into  the  court-yard.  It  was  a  spacious 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  133 

square ;  on  the  right  there  was  a  little  garden,  and  on  the  left 
the  remains  of  the  old  watch-tower,  with  a  magnificent  gateway 
of  carved  stone.  Partly  within  this,  and  partly  built  against 
it  and  the  wall  of  the  main  building,  was  a  pretty  little  cottage, 
with  a  small  stable.  The  stones  from  the  ruins  had  afforded 
a  fine  foundation,  laid  above  the  old  castle  cellar,  where  pro- 
visions could  be  stored,  and  upon  them  a  frame  structure  had 
been  erected,  with  a  projecting  roof,  the  supports  of  which 
were  wreathed  with  wild  grape-vines,  forming  a  veranda,  be- 
neath which  ascended  the  light  staircase.  No  more  unique 
picture  could  be  imagined  than  this  pretty  vine-wreathed  cot- 
tage in  the  shade  of  magnificent  old  trees,  and  surrounded  by 
the  ancient  castle  walls,  battered  and  weather-stained  by  the 
storms  of  centuries.  There,  where  the  pavement  around  the 
basin  of  the  ancient  fountain  was  still  preserved,  steeds  panting 
for  the  battle  had  once  neighed,  amid  the  clang  of  steel  and 
the  rattle  of  harness.  Peace  had  built  her  nest  here  in  the 
ruined  stronghold  of  war. 

The  girl  appeared  to  understand  as  little  as  the  stranger  the 
sudden  change  in  the  old  man's  mood.  Her  eyes,  from  be- 
neath her  clustering  curls,  gazed  in  surprise  at  the  altered  ex- 
pression of  his  stern  features,  that  had  lost  all  harshness,  in  an 
air  of  dreamy  reverie.  He  followed  Schonrade  with  his  glance, 
and  murmured,  shaking  his  head,  "  Schonrade  ! — no — no.  I 
am  wrong,  I  am  wrong.  It  is  odd  I  should  be  so  deceived." 

The  Professor  begged  to  be  allowed  to  sit  down  upon  the 
stone  seat  by  the  fountain,  and  the  old  man  assented. 

The  girl's  mother  now  appeared  from  the  cottage, — a  spare 
woman  with  a  careworn  face,  but  well  dressed, — and  bade  the 
stranger  welcome.  She  was  quite  at  her  ease,  and  began  to 
talk  of  what  interested  her  in  "  the  world  outside."  "  We 
seldom  see  a  newspaper,"  she  said,  with  a  sigh ;  "  we  live  a 
very  lonely  life."  In  reply  to  his  inquiries,  Schonrade  learned 
that  her  husband  had  been  a  sergeant  in  the  army,  and  had 

12 


134  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

been  killed  in  the  last  war.  After  his  death  she  had  come 
with  her  only  child  to  keep  house  for  her  father-in-law.  Lena 
delighted  in  the  life  here, — solitude  was  refreshing  to  her  after 
her  father's  death, — and  she  would  not  have  exchanged  it  for 
the  gayest  life  in  town.  Healthy  in  mind  and  body  though 
she  was,  nevertheless  she  was  by  no  means  insensible  to  the 
charm  of  romance  which  invested  these  old  ruins ;  they  clothed 
with  life  the  chivalric  stories  and  fairy-tales  of  her  childhood. 
The  mother,  with  her  sorrowful  experiences  and  her  ever-fresh 
sorrow  for  her  husband's  loss,  longed  for  distraction  and  excite- 
ment; she  was  always  glad  to  welcome  a  guest  in  the  old  ruin. 

Had  the  old  man  no  other  son?  the  Professor  asked.  Yes, 
but  he  might  almost  as  well  have  had  none,  for  his  elder  son 
had  left  home  very  early  in  life,  and  had  finally  settled  in  Italy, 
where  he  had  married.  From  time  to  time  they  had  a  letter 
from  him,  but  of  late  years  they  had  been  written  in  very  bad 
German, — he  seemed  almost  to  have  forgotten  his  mother 
tongue.  He  was,  however,  quite  well-to-do  in  the  world. 
"  There  is  no  reason  why  my  father  should  slave  here  at  his 
gardening,"  the  woman  remarked  ;  "  we  might  very  easily  live 
in  the  town,  but  he  chooses  to  do  it " 

"  He  must  do  it,  my  child,"  the  old  man  declared.  "  You 
cannot  understand  that  property  that  has  been  intrusted  to 
one's  charge  must  be  looked  after." 

While  they  were  talking,  a  violent  wind  had  arisen, — it  was 
roaring  in  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  whistling  in  all  the  holea 
and  crannies  of  the  old  walls.  Thunder-clouds  were  banked 
high  in  the  western  sky.  It  grew  very  dark,  and  some  large 
drops  fell  upon  the  paving-stones. 

"  You  will  be  sorry  that  you  did  not  take  my  advice,"  the 
girl  said  to  the  Professor;  "the  storm  will  not  wait  for  you." 

"  Oh,  we  can't  let  the  gentleman  go  now,"  her  mother 
observed ;  "  in  ten  minutes  it  will  rain  so  that  he  would  be 
wet  to  the  skin.  He  must  wait  until  the  worst  has  passed 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  135 

over."  As  she  spoke,  she  looked  towards  the  old  gardener, 
who  nodded  his  head  in  assent.  Schonrade  was  not  at  all  in 
a  hurry. 

He  was  soon  seated  heside  the  old  man  at  a  round  table  in 
a  comfortable  little  room,  before  the  windows  of  which  the 
vine-leaves  were  dancing  in  the  storm.  The  woman  placed 
before  him  bread  and  butter,  cheese,  and  beer.  The  girl  had 
vanished,  and  reappeared  in  neat  stockings  and  shoes.  The 
lamp  burned  brightly,  but  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  there 
was  a  constant  roll  of  thunder. 

The  Professor,  in  his  turn,  now  asked  his  host's  name,  and 
learned  that  it  was  Vogelstein.  "And  you  have  a  son  in 
Ttaly  ?  In  Florence  ?" 

"  Yes,  yes ;  he  wrote  us  last  from  there  that  he  had  under- 
taken to  keep  an  inn,"  the  old  man  replied. 

"  And  I  remember  now  that  Signer  Uccello  told  me  he 
came  from  this  part  of  Germany,"  the  Professor  exclaimed ; 
and  then  ensued  question  and  answer,  by  which  it  was  made 
plain  that  Signer  Uccello  was  no  other  than  old  Vogelstein's 
eldest  son.  Of  course  they  were  all  upon  a  friendly  footing  at 
once.  The  Professor  happened  to  mention,  with  a  touch  of 
humour,  the  "  Palazzo  Bellarota,"  and  on  the  instant  the  old 
man  grew  attentive,  and  laid  his  hand  on  his  arm,  as  if  to 
arrest  the  conversation  at  that  point,  but,  seeming  then  to 
bethink  himself,  shook  his  head  and  said  nothing.  Schonrade 
introduced  the  Recorder's  account  of  the  Honeburg,  in  order 
to  learn,  if  he  could,  how  Vogelstein  came  to  inhabit  the  ruins. 
"  I  suppose,"  he  concluded,  "  that  there  is  no  mystery  in  the 
matter?  If  there  is,  I  will  curb  my  curiosity." 

"  Certainly  no  mystery,"  the  gardener  replied.  "  All  is  as 
plain  and  simple  as  possible, — too  simple  to  interest  any  one, 
even  the  diligent  police.  My  family  has  been  closely  connected 
in  a  certain  way  with  that  of  the  Freiherrs  von  Honeburg  for 
a  long  time.  My  ancestors  were  towns-folk,  who  centuries 


136  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

ago  possessed  great  wealth  and  took  their  seats  at  the  council- 
board.  The  Feinberg  mansion,  which  you  tell  me  you  have 
seen  to-day,  belonged  to  one  of  them,  and  the  inscription  on 
his  monument  is  still  legible  in  the  church  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  There  is  a  long  story  concerning  the  loss  of  our 
possessions,  which  I  will  only  lightly  touch  upon.  In  a  bloody 
feud  between  the  town  and  the  Freiherr, — the  town  had  un- 
justly thrown  two  of  his  followers  into  a  dungeon  as  robbers, 
— my  ancestor  secretly  espoused  the  cause  of  Von  Honeburg, 
to  whom  he  was  beholden  for  many  a  personal  kindness,  and 
admitted  him  to  the  town  at  night  by  the  green  gate.  In 
spite  of  his  friend's  aid.  however,  Von  Honeburg  was  unsuc- 
cessful, and  the  Vogelsteins  were  deprived  of  their  rights  as 
townsmen,  and  forced  to  fly.  I  do  not  excuse  his  conduct:  I 
only  tell  of  it  to  show  how  the  Vogelsteins  came  to  live  at  the 
Honeburg,  first  as  allies  of  the  Freiherr,  and  afterwards  in  his 
service.  The  friendship  between  them  continued  when  what 
had  given  rise  to  it  was  wellnigh  forgotten.  In  later  times, 
when  the  lords  of  the  castle  were  frequently  absent  at  court 
or  in  the  army,  they  always  appointed  the  Vogelsteins  their 
bailiffs,  and  this  continued  as  long  as  there  was  any  land  left 
to  look  after.  My  father  was  bailiff  here,  but  even  in  his 
young  days  his  master  was  going  down-hill,  and  farm  after 
farm  had  to  be  sold.  Ever  since  I  can  remember,  poverty  was 
the  order  of  the  day, — very  little  more  than  daily  bread  was 
made  by  cultivating  what  land  remained.  I  was  very  young 
when  I  was  obliged  to  serve  in  the  army,  and  I  was  in  the 
same  regiment  in  which  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg  was  cap- 
tain of  cavalry,  and  in  his  squadron.  Then  the  French  war 
broke  out,  and  we  took  the  field.  We  rode  side  by  side  in 
many  a  battle,  and  once  I  saved  his  life  when  he  would  not 
have  given  a  pin  for  his  chance.  He  was  terribly  wounded, 
and  resigned  from  his  command,  retiring  upon  his  pension  to 
a  small  provincial  town.  He  had  been  married  shortly  before 


THE  GREEN   GATE.  137 

the  war,  and  his  wife  now  accompanied  him  into  his  retreat 
and  bore  him  a  boy,  to  whose  education  he  devoted  himself. 
As  soon  as  I  had  served  out  my  time  he  put  me  here  to  take 
care  of  the  Hb'neburg, — that  is,  all  of  it  that  was  left  to 
take  care  of, — so  that  a  small  sum  from  here  was  added  yearly 
to  his  pension.  His  son  entered  the  school  for  cadets,  and 
was  often  sent  hither  in  the  vacation  for  the  sake  of  the  fresh 
country  air.  After  his  father's  death  he  came  here,  a  young 
officer,  and  reinstated  me  in  my  office  for  my  lifetime ;  but  he 
sold  a  few  more  acres,  so  that  I  am  nothing  but  a  gardener. 
He  led  the  gay  life  of  a  young  officer  in  many  a  garrison 
town,  and  was  finally  ordered  to  this  place.  What  happened 
here " 

He  interrupted  himself,  put  his  hand  up  to  his  mouth,  and 
coughed.  Then  he  looked  steadily  at  his  guest  for  awhile, 
moved  his  lips  without  speaking,  and  finally  asked,  "  Do  you 
not  knew  ?" 

"  How  should  I  know?"  asked  the  Professor,  in  surprise. 

"  Well,  whatever  happened,"  the  old  man  continued,  "  was, 
I  plainly  perceive,  no  affair  either  of  yours  or  mine.  I  will 
only  tell  you  that  the  lieutenant,  my  master,  came  here  to  the 
Hb'neburg  one  day,  and  ordered  me  to  put  in  order  the  best 
room  I  could  find,  for  that  a  young  lady  was  coming  here  to 
stay.  I  looked  at  him  in  amazement,  and  it  seemed  to  me 
that  he  carried  an  uneasy  conscience  in  his  breast.  He  saw 
what  I  thought,  and  s£l  to  me,  '  There  certainly  is  some 
secrecy  to  be  preserved,  but  it  will  scarcely  result  in  a  siege 
of  the  castle,  as  in  olden  times.'  I  shook  my  head  doubtfully, 
and  he  felt  it  necessary  to  reassure  me  still  farther.  '  It  is 
in  strict  honour,'  he  said,  '  in  strict  honour  !  We  are  to  be 
married,  but  it  can't  be  done  immediately.  She  will  be  mar- 
ried to  some  one  else  to-morrow  if  we  do  not  prevent  it.'  It 
was  my  duty  to  obey,  and  I  obeyed.  In  the  night  he  brought 
her  across  the  moor  upon  his  horse,  in  front  of  him,  after  true 

12* 


138  THE*  GRE&N  GATE. 

knightly  fashion,  gave  her  in  charge  to  us,  and  returned  im- 
mediately to  the  town,  as  she  told  him  to.  He  came  often  to 
visit  her,  and  one  day  he  brought  a  priest  with  him,  and  they 
were  married,  standing  upon  the  site  of  the  old  castle  chapel, 
just  where  the  altar-stone  lies,  beneath  the  large  linden.  After 
that  the  Freiherr  often  spent  days  at  a  time  here,  and  finally 
took  up  his  abode  here  altogether,  having  received  or  taken 
his  dismissal  from  the  army." 

The  old  man  rubbed  his  brow,  as  if  to  freshen  up  old 
memories,  or  to  drive  away  those  that  thrust  themselves  for- 
ward unbidden. 

"How  long  ago  was  it?"  asked  Schonrade,  far  more  in- 
terested in  these  modern  tales  of  the  Honeburg  than  he  had 
been  by  the  Recorder's  revelations. 

"  Oh,  more  than  thirty  years  ago,"  the  gardener  answered, 
making  a  silent  calculation,  "perhaps  thirty-five;  certainly 
more  than  thirty.  I  can  tell  you  to  a  day  if  I  consult  my  old 
day-book,  where  I  wrote  it  all  down  faithfully,  because  I  was 
one  of  the  witnesses  of  the  marriage.  Certainly  more  than 
thirty  years." 

"  And  did  they  live  here  long  ?" 

"  That  depends  upon  what  you  call  long.  Compared  with 
my  lifetime  it  was  not  long,  but  they  certainly  found  it  so 
although  they  were  very  happy  together  at  first.  Oh,  what  s 
beautiful  lady  she  was  !  She  had  wonderful  eyes,  so  black 
and  flashing,  not  like  the  eyes  of  tlA  women  about  here,  and, 
indeed,  she  was  only  h^ilf  German.  And  her  hair  !  She  would 
sometimes  go  to  the  fountain  in  the  early  morning  with  it 
hanging^  all  unbraided  and  loose  about  her.  There  was  a 

bluish  lustre  to  it.  and  it  was  so  long  and  thick  that  it  fell 

•  ° 

about  her  like  a  cloak.     I  never  saw  such  hair  either  before 

or  since." 

He  looked  into  vacancy  with  a  glow  of  enthusiasm  on  his 
wrinkled  face,  then  nodded  his  head  slowly,  and  passed  his 


THE  GRE^N  GATE.  139 

hand  across  his  eyes.  "  This  has  nothing  to  do  with  it."  he 
began  again  ;  "  you  wanted  me  to  tell  you  of  myself.  But,  I 
cannot  tell  why,  I  cannot  drive  it  all  from  my  thoughts  to- 
night. Excuse  me,  sir." 

"  Oh,  go  on,  pray !"  said  the  Professor,  who  had  grown 
very  grave,  and  was  listening  with  eager  attention.  "  What 
happened  next  ?" 

"  Oh,  there  is  little  more  to  tell,"  the  old  man  continued. 
"  Although  tney  neither  of  them  could  have  been  used  to  the 
solitude  of  the  life  here,  yet  they  lived  together  very  happily 
for  a  year  and  more.  A  little  son  was  born  to  them,  and  their 
content  seemed  perfect.  Sometimes  we  were  rather  pinched, 
for  the  Freiherr  had  no  pension,  and  the  castle  territory  was 
small  indeed  ;  the  young  wife,  too,  had  brought  her  husband 
nothing  but  her  beauty  and  her  love.  The  Freiherr  was  cross 
sometimes,  and  then  his  wife  used  to  shed  tears  in  secret. 
Once  an  official  came  here  from  the  town  about  some  old 
debts  of  my  master's,  and  after  that  there  was  many  a  wretched, 
unhappy  day.  '  We  shall  soon  be  at  the  end  of  everything,' 
the  Freiherr  said  to  me  one  day,  '  and  have  to  leave  even  this 

miserable  nest, — and  what  then ?'  But  the  Baroness  was 

too  proud  to  complain  either  to  me  or  to  my  wife ;  she  de- 
voured her  grief  in  secret,  and  her  beauty  began  to  fade.  I 
am  sure  that  the  Freiherr  never  alluded  to  her  poverty  to  her  ; 
no,  no :  that  was  not  his  way ;  but  she  probably  accused  her- 
self of  being  the  cause  oMiis  miserable  difficulties.  She  sang 
less  .and  less  in  those  days.  Ah,  how  wonderfully  she  could 
sing  !  I  once  said  in  jest  to  my  master,  '  The  Frau  Baroness 
would  make  a  great  sensation  upon  the  stage  !'  But  he  was 
very  angry  with  me  for  my  presumption ;  perhaps  she  had 
said  something  of  the  kind  to  him  before.  At  last,  when  their 
need  was  the  sorest,  a  letter  arrived  that  greatly  agitated  them. 
A  distant  cousin  of  the  Freiherr's,  whom  he  had  almost  for- 
gotten, was  dead,  and  his  immense  estate,  which  had  been  in 


140  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

the  family  for  centuries,  in  default  of  nearer  heirs,  fell  to 
my  master.  He  was  also  to  bear  henceforth  the  title  of 
Graf  von  Gleichenau.  The  future  of  the  young  couple  was 
luxuriously  provided  for.  The  Freiherr  hurried  off  to  take 
possession  of  his  wealth,  leaving  his  wife  and  child  here  tem- 
porarily." 

"And  did  he  never  come  back?"  asked  Schonrade,  eagerly. 

"  Yes,  he  came  back  once  more, — I  can't  tell  how  long 
afterwards, — but  not  at  all  as  he  had  left.  His  beautiful  wife 
may  have  learned  how  matters  stood  from  his  letters,  for  she 
received  him  so  coldly  that  it  cut  me  to  the  heart.  I  heard 
him  in  the  room  speaking  loud  and  violently  to  her  as  he  never 
had  spoken  before,  and  then  I  had  to  go  for  the  doctor,  for 
she  was  seized  with  a  violent  fit  of  hysterics ;  and  the  cause 
of  their  disagreement  I  never  discovered, — I  never  tried  to 
discover  it.  A  notary  made  his  appearance  here,  with  all 
kinds  of  papers  for  signature,  but  the  Baroness  refused  to  sign 
anything.  Then  the  Freiherr  gave  me  money  to  have  the 
house  put  in  better  order,  and  to  provide  for  the  welfare  of 
mother  and  child,  and  again  took  his  departure.  Since  then 
I  have  never  seen  him." 

"  And  his  wife?  and  the  child?" 

"  They  stayed  here  for  some  time.  Letters  came  and  went ; 
I  never  knew  what  their  contents  were,  for  she  was  silent  as 
the  grave.  Once  a  packet  arrived,  with  five  seals,  and  a  large 
amount  of  money  written  out  on  the  cover  of  it ;  but  she 
returned  it  immediately.  A  few  days  after  that  she  took  her 
departure,  weeping  bitterly  as  she  thanked  me  again  and  again 
for  what  little  kindness  I  had  been  able  to  show  her.  She 
drove  off  with  her  baby,  without  saying  where  she  was  going. 
I  immediately  informed  my  master  of  what  had  occurred,  but 
I  received  no  reply,  nor  has  he  ever  answered  any  of  my 
letters  since.  I  send  him  a  yearly  statement  of  my  adminis- 
tration here,  but  apparently  he  does  not  wish  to  be  reminded 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  141 

of  the  Honeburg.  I  shall  die,  I  suppose,  without  ever  seeing 
another  line  from  his  hand ;  but  I  will  die  at  my  post,  like  an. 
old  sodier." 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  Professor  rose  hastily  and  left  the  room.  He  was 
greatly  agitated,  more  so  than  he  cared  to  show  in  the  presence 
of  strangers.  Had  he  just  penetrated  the  mystery  of  his  birth, 
so  carefully  guarded  from  him  hitherto  by  his  mother  ?  He 
was  certain  of  nothing,  and  yet  he  could  have  sworn  that  so 
it  was. 

He  stood  still  beneath  the  veranda,  where  the  fresh  breeze 
after  the  storm  brought  him  coolness  and  refreshment.  The 
drops  were  falling  from  the  vine-leavesj  but  the  rain  had  ceased. 
A  few  dark  clouds  were  drifting  overhead  towards  the  town, 
but  between  them  the  deep-blue  skies  were  clear.  He  pon- 
dered whether  he  should  not  instantly  leave  the  ruin  and  try 
to  forget  what  he  had  just  heard.  But  how  to  leave  without 
making  courteous  acknowledgment  to  his  hosts  for  their  kind- 
ness, when  they  could  not  possibly  imagine  what  urged  him  to 
depart?  And  did  it  urge  him  to  depart?  Did  it  not  rather 
bind  him  by  invisible  ties  to  the  spot?  A  short  time  ago,  all 
this  had  been  a  matter  of  supreme  indifference  to  him  ;  now 
he  grasped  eagerly  at  anything  that  could  be  of  advantage  to 
him  in  his  suit.  If  he  was  on  the  eve  of  what  might  prove  a 
fortunate  discovery,  why  avoid  it  ?  His  filial  duty  prompted 
no  such  course.  He  tapped  lightly  on  the  window  in  invita- 
tion to  those  within,  then  walked  to  the  fountain  and  gazed 
into  its  depths,  where  gleamed  the  friendly  sparkle  of  a  star. 
He  hailed  it  gladly,  and  thought  of  her  whom  he  loved  best. 

The  gardener,  with  his  daughter  and  grandchild,  joined  him. 


142  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

"  It  is  time  to  go,"  said  the  Professor,  hoping  that  they  would 
try  to  detain  him.  The  old  man  looked  up  to  the  skies  and 
remarked  that  the  storm  seemed  to  be  over.  His  daughter 
happily  observed  that  the  meadows  and  moor  were  drenched 
with  rain,  and  that  it  would  hardly  be  possible  to  find  the 
shortest  path  to  the  ferry.  Was  it  necessary  that  he  should  re- 
turn to  the  town  that  night?  He  replied  that  there  was  no 
need  for  such  haste,  and  that  if  he  could  have  lodging  here 
he  would  far  rather  remain  than  wander  about  the  damp  moor 
seeking  his  way.  The  woman  looked  at  the  old  man,  who  an- 
swered her  look  more  kindly  than  she  had  expected,  with  a 
"  Do  as  you  please."  Then  the  young  girl  joined  in  the  con- 
versation, and  suggested  the  empty  room,  which,  as  her  grand- 
father had  told  her,  the  beautiful  baroness  had  occupied  with 
her  little  son.  That  was  just  what  he  would  like,  the  Pro- 
fessor declared,  and  the  two  women  hurried  into  the  house  to 
make  the  necessary  arrangements. 

The  old  man  remained,  and  seated  himself  on  the  stone  seat, 
which  was  already  dry.  Schonrade  again  leaned  over  the  basin 
of  the  fountain.  "  You  seemed  greatly  struck  by  my  appear- 
ance when  you  first  saw  me,"  he  began,  "and  I  thought  I 
heard  words  from  your  lips  expressive  of  surprise.  Was  I 
right  ?  and,  if  so,  may  I  ask  what  startled  you  upon  seeing  me?" 

"  You  were  right,"  replied  the  gardener,  "  you  were  right. 
But  I  was  wrong,  although  it  is  most  strange " 

"  What  is  most  strange  ?" 

"  Your  resemblance  to — to " 

«  To  whom  ?" 

"  I  can  hardly  say.  At  first  I  thought  to  the  Baroness 
von  Honeburg,  of  whose  sorrows  I  have  told  you,  and  then 
it  seemed  to  me  that  the  Freiherr  himself —  But  I  could 
not  say  whether  it  lay  in  the  face  or  figure,  in  eyes,  nose,  or 
mouth.  And  now  that  I  am  more  familiar  with  your  appear- 
ance, it  fades,  and  I  see  perfectly  that  I  was  wrong.  You  must 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  143 

not  take  it  ill  of  the  man  who  has  been  waiting  for  more  than 
thirty  years  to  see  his  master  and  the  lord  of  this  castle." 

The  Professor  could  hardly  control  his  emotion.  After  a 
few  moments,  he  said,  "  And  suppose  you  had  not  erred  ? 
suppose " 

The  old  man  turned,  and  laid  a  trembling  hand  upon  his 
arm. 

"  I  have  no  certainty  in  the  matter,"  the  Professor  con- 
tinued, hurriedly,  "  and  nothing  can  be  farther  from  my 
thoughts  than  any  desire  to  impose  upon  you  or  myself.  But 
there  were  some  strange  coincidences  suggested  by  your  story, 
and  my  mother,  who  has  always  concealed  from  me  every  par- 
ticular of  my  birth  and  early  infancy,  was  averse  to  my  coming 
hither.  Do  you  know'  the  Baroness  von  Honeburg's  maiden 
name  ?" 

"  I  do." 

"  Let  me  tell  you  my  mother's.  She  is  a  Bellarota,  ,the 
daughter  of  the  singer  Carlo  Bellarota,  who  died  here  in  the 
hospital  of  the  town  when  she  was  scarcely  ten  years  old." 

"  In  truth,  sir,  it  was  as  you  say." 

"  And  my  name  is  the  German  rendering  of  hers.  Schon- 
rade  is  German  for  Bellarota." 

The  old  man  arose,  took  off  his  cap,  and  bowed  low.  "  Then 
there  can  be  no  doubt,"  he  exclaimed,  with  heartfelt  joy. 
"  Welcome,  welcome,  Herr  Freiherr,  to  your  ancestral  home  !" 

This  solemn  address  served  instantly  to  change  the  entire 
tone  of  the  Professor's  thoughts,  to  destroy  the  melancholy 
mood  in  which  he  was  indulging,  and  he  burst  into  a  laugh. 
The  gardener  started,  and  looked  half  offended.  "  Forgive  me, 
good  friend,"  said  Schonrade.  "  Indeed,  you  would  laugh  as  I 
do  if  you  knew  all.  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  Philip  Amberger 
believed  he  had  discovered  the  Palazzo  Bellarota  in  your  son's 
hotel  ?  So  it  was,  and  he  gravely  addressed  me  there  as  in 
the  palace  of  my  ancestors.  I  come  to  Northern  Germany,  and 


144  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

find  here  evidence  to  prove  ray  descent  from  trie  Freiherrs 
von  Hb'neburg,  whose  oldest  and  most  faithful  friend  bids  me 
welcome  to  my  ancestral  halls.  Is  it  not  better  to  laugh  than 
to  cry  ? — tell  me." 

Vogelstein's  face  relaxed  a  little.  "  Yes,  yes,"  he  said,  "  it 
seems  strange  enough,  but  many  an  event  in  real  life  seems  too 

strange  for  a  romance,  and  why  not Oh  that  I  should 

live  to  see  the  day  !" 

"  Do  not  let  us  take  a  well-founded  suspicion  for  complete 
proof,"  the  guest  said,  warningly.  "  Permit  me  to  remain,  as 
far  as  you  and  yours  are  concerned,  Professor  Xaver  Schb'n- 
rade,  until " 

"  Xaver  ?"  exclaimed  the  gardener.  "  It  was  the  boy's  bap- 
tismal name." 

"  That,  too,  strengthens  the  probability.  Nevertheless,  let 
me  remain  what  I  know  I  am  until  I  receive  full  confirmation 
from  my  mother  and  the  Count  von  Gleichenau.  I  lay  claim 
to  only  one  proof  of  confidence  on  your  part:  tell  me  whether 
you  have  any  papers  in  your  keeping  that  may  throw  farther 
light  upon  this  matter.  You  can  safely  intrust  them  in  my 
hands  while  I  am  with  you  here." 

"  Yes,  there  are  some  papers,"  the  gardener  said,  after  a 
moment's  reflection,  "and  they  must  be  just  where  the  Frau 
Baroness  left  them,  in  the  upper  drawer  of  the  cabinet,  in  her 
bed-chamber.  I  kept  the  key.  There  are  both  papers  and  let- 
ters, but  she  cannot  have  attached  much  value  to  them,  or  she 
would  have  taken  the  little  packet  with  her.  She  left  in  anger, 
and  bowed  down  by  grief;  she  may  have  forgotten  them." 

His  daughter  came  to  conduct  their  guest  to  his  room. 
Lena  was  standing  on  the  stairs  with  a  lighted  candle,  and  she 
bade  him  a  kindly  good-night.  Vogelstein  brought  him  the 
key  of  the  cabinet,  and  the  two  men  shook  hands  in  silence. 
A  moment  afterwards  the  Professor  stood  within  the  little 
low-ccilinged  room  where,  perhaps,  his  cradle  had  once  rocked. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  U5 

He  was  overpowered,  in  thus  unexpectedly  finding  his  home, 
by  sensations  that  were  both  sad  and  plea.sing.  For  awhile 
he  paused  where  he  stood,  near  the  door,  and  his  eyes  grew 
dim  as  he  looked  towards  the  window  where  the  wretched 
young  wife  must  have  often  sat,  and  at  the  simple  couch  where 
she  had  passed  sleepless  nights,  and  at  the  wardrobe  and  cab- 
inet of  plainest  birch-wood  which  had  contained  her  belong- 
ings. What  had  taken  place  here  between  those  two  people 
who  certainly  had  once  loved  each  other  dearly?  What  stormy 
experience  had  assailed  the  heart  that  had  been  left  here  to 
throb  in  sickening  expectation  or  passionate  grief?  He  thought 
he  could  now  understand  why  his  mother  had  drawn  an  im- 
penetrable veil  over  all  that  far-off  time,  and  had  withheld 
from  him  the  name  of  the  husband  who  had  so  saddened  her 
life  and  deprived  her  son  of  his  rights.  Hitherto  he  had  felt 
only  indifference  towards  this  father  of  his,  now  he  seemed  to 
hate  him  as  his  mother  ha'ted  him.  "It  makes  no  difference, ' 
he  muttered  sadly  to  himself.  "  I  have  no  father." 

He  placed  a  chair  in  front  of  the  cabinet,  and  opened  the 
drawer.  He  found  within,  as  the  old  man  had  said,  papers 
and  letters,  which  he  arranged  hastily,  and  then  read  one 
by  one.  From  them  he  gleaned  a  knowledge  of  what  had 
happened,  but  the  light  and  shadow  cast  upon  that  past  all 
came  from  one  direction ;  from  Camilla  there  was  nothing 
save  a  few  words  hurriedly  written  by  way  of  comment  on  the 
margin  of  some  of  the  letters.  The  Freiherr's  tone  in  writing 
was  uniformly  gentle  and  kind;  even  when  he  lamented  an 
obstinate  misconception  of  his  good  intentions,  or  enforced 
some  stern  demand,  his  style  never  ceased  to  be  characterized 
by  a  respectful  forbearance  and  a  cordial  good  will,  that  spoke 
well  for  the  writer,  although  they  had  evidently  been  but  scant- 
ily appreciated  by  the  reader.  Some  sheets  were  torn  in  two, 
and  parts  of  some  were  entirely  wanting.  The  seals  of  others 
were  still  unbroken  ;  either  their  contents  had  been  surmised 
G  13 


146  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

beforehand,  or  the  wife's  displeasure  upon  receiving  them  had 
found  vent  in  this  sign  of  an  absence  of  interest.  Until  long 
past  midnight  the  Professor  sat  poring  over  these  papers  and 
unveiling  a  melancholy  past. 

It  was  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  Freiherr  had  truly  loved 
Camilla.  How  he  won  her  for  his  wife  there  was  nothing 
here  to  tell,  but  in  one  letter  he  said  that  he  never  could  for- 
get that  for  his  sake  she  had  resigned  the  certain  prospect 
of  a  life  surrounded  by  every  luxury ;  and  this  passage  was 
underscored  in  pencil  several  times,  by  the  same  hand,  evi- 
dently, that  had  appended  to  it  a  mark  of  interrogation.  The 
son  knew  his  mother  too  well  not  to  suspect  that  her  proud  and 
passionate  temperament  might  but  too  probably  have  been  the 
cause  of  disagreements  in  her  married  life  that  had  cooled  the 
ardour  of  a  husband  not  especially  constant  in  character.  The 
fine  bond  of  union  must  have  been  somewhat  frayed  when 
the  event  occurred  which  necessitated  the  Freiherr's  absence. 
True,  there  followed  from  Castle  Gleichenau  the  tenderest 
letters,  that  in  their  constant  reference  to  the  idyllic  life  in  the 
old  ruin  were  not  without  a  deep  tincture  of  romance,  and 
that  painted  in  glowing  colours  the  happy  future  that  should 
be  passed  in  the  midst  of  wealth  and  plenty.  But  soon  the 
communications  grew  less  frequent  and  more  common-place, 
being  often  confined  to  excuses,  scarcely  received  as  sincere, 
for  delay  in  writing.  Camilla  had  apparently  answered  these 
with  bitter  reproaches,  requiring  that  her  husband  should 
return,  or  should  send  for  her  and  her  child,  for  the  Frei- 
herr renewed  his  excuses,  at  first  eagerly,  then  more  coldly, 
postponing  the  day  of  his  return,  and  entreating  her  not  to 
think  of  coming  to  him  until  the  castle  should  be  ready  to 
receive  her. 

At  last,  in  answer  probably  to  renewed  inquiries  as  to  the 
cause  of  his  delay,  ca,me  a  letter  of  grave  import.  It  appeared 
from  an  investigation  of  the  title-deeds  to  the  large  entailed 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  147 

estate  of  which  the  Freiherr  had  just  taken  possession,  that  it 
could  devolve  only  upon  heirs  noble  on  the  side  of  both  the 
father  and  the  mother,  who  must  themselves  be  able  to  prove  a 
certain  number  of  noble  ancestors.  The  Freiherr  apparently 
informed  Camilla  of  this  fact  simply  as  a  preamble  to  what  fol- 
lowed ;  he  thought  he  had  heard  her  say  that  her  father  belonged 
to  an  ancient  Italian  family  of  rank.  She  well  knew  how  little 
importance  he  himself  attached  to  noble  birth,  how  small  a 
value  he  had  placed  upon  his  own,  but,  now  that  this  large  estate 
of  Gleichenau  had  fallen  to  him,  it  was  of  moment  to  know 
whether  his  son  could  inherit  it,  or  whether  it  must  devolve 
at  his  death  upon  another  branch  of  the  family.  Camilla, 
perhaps  smarting  from  a  sense  of  previous  real  or  fancied  neg- 
lect, appeared  to  have  suspected  in  this  letter  a  regret  upon 
her  husband's  part  at  having  contracted  an  unequal  marriage, 
for  his  next  letter  contained  a  remonstrance  with  her  for  her 
intemperate  outbreak  of  passion,  and  for  her  accusations, 
which  were  certainly  as  yet  without  foundation.  This  "  as 
yet"  was  again  strongly  underscored  in  pencil,  and  attention 
was  called  to  it  by  exclamation-points  on  the  margin  of  the 
paper.  She  must  have  replied,  however,  that  her  family  was 
indubitably  noble,  for  the  Freiherr,  although  he  expressed 
himself  as  by  no  means  convinced,  promised  her  that  he  would 
go  immediately  to  Italy,  and  make  all  possible  inquiries  there, 
that  she  might  be  reinstated  in  her  rights,  praying  her,  until 
that  should  be  done,  to  remain  in  the  Honeburg,  since  he 
desired  to  present  his  wife  to  the  noble  families  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Gleichenau  in  a  manner  that  should  insure  her  a 
suitable  reception  from  them. 

This  last  communication  must  have  greatly  irritated  Ca- 
milla, and,  indeed,  one  might  easily  conclude  from  it  that  the 
new  Count  of  Gleichenau  was  nowise  inclined  to  submit  to 
any  social  rebuff  for  his  wife's  sake.  She  must  have  discerned 
in  such  an  ignoring  of  herself  a  greater  want  of  affection 


148  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

than  even  his  previous  coldness  had  prepared  her  for,  and  she 
dearly  saw  the  loss  that  threatened  her  child.  In  a  short 
memorandum  in  her  handwriting  she  accused  her  husband 
of  treachery  in  wishing  to  make  use  of  the  law  of  inheritance, 
to  which  he  referred,  in  order  to  rid  himself,  in  his  changed 
circumstances,  of  wife  and  child.  There  was,  besides,  the 
copy  of  a  letter  to  a  famous  advocate,  inquiring  whether 
such  conditions  of  inheritance  would  hold  good  in  a  marriage 
contracted  before  coming  into  possession  of  an  entailed  estate. 
The  answer  was  not  to  be  found,  but  it  could  scarcely  have 
been  satisfactory,  since  there  were  several  notes  from  various 
Italian  cities,  proving  that  Camilla,  in  her  distress,  had  insti- 
tuted inquiries  there  upon  her  own  account. 

And  certainly  any  impartial  judge  would  have  agreed  that 
the  Freiherr  spared  no  pains  to  discover  traces  of  the  Bella- 
rotas.  There  was  a  good-sized  roll  of  papers, — information 
procured  from  magistrates  and  priests, — from  which  it  was 
clear  that  a  noble  family  of  the  name  did  assuredly  exist, 
— but  no  link  could  be  discovered  by  which  Carlo  Bellarota 
could  be  associated  with  it. 

Meanwhile,  time  widened  the  breach  between  the  hus- 
band and  the  wife.  It  was  undeniable  that  the  Freiherr  was 
strongly  influenced  by  his  new  surroundings,  and  was  grow- 
ing more  and  more  familiar  with  the  thought  of  breaking 
a  bond  which  his  wife's  constant  mistrust,  complaints,  and 
reproaches  threatened  to  convert  into  a  galling  chain.  His 
proposal  for  a  separation  was  not  surprising.  On  the  margin 
of  this  letter  Camilla  had  written,  "Never!  never!  never!" 
There  were  some  lawyer's  letters,  offering  a  generous  main- 
tenance for  mother  and  child ;  several  of  these  were  much 
torn.  A  letter  with  them  from  the  Freiherr  was  still  un- 
opened. 

His  return  to  the  Honeburg  must  have  interrupted  the 
correspondence.  The  old  gardener  had  told  of  the  meeting. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  149 

Then  came  an  agreement,  carefully  drawn  up,  the  conditions 
of  which  were  most  favourable  to  the  wife,  signed  by  the 
Freiherr,  but  not  by  Camilla.  Beneath  his  signature  this 
sentence  in  his  handwriting  bore  a  later  date :  "  I  hold  my- 
self bound  to  all  these  conditions,  even  without  Camilla's 
expressed  acquiescence."  Xaver  knew  that  his  mother  had 
never  received  any  means  of  support  from  this  source,  and 
he  must  therefore  conclude  either  that  his  father  had  broken 
his  word  or  that  his  mother  had  been  too  proud  to  receive 
anything  at  his  hands, — which  last  supposition  was  the  more 
probable.  With  this  contract  he  found  another  paper,  that 
occupied  his  most  profound  attention. 

It  was  an  official  document,  made  out  with  all  the  legal 
formula,  in  which  the  Freiherr  von  Hb'neburg  and  Graf  von 
Gleichenau,  after  a  short  explanatory  introduction,  irrevocably 
declared  that,  in  the  event  of  his  legal  separation  from  his 
present  lawful  wife  Camilla  Bellarota,  whatever  opinion  might 
be  entertained  concerning  blame  to  be  attached  to  either  party, 
he  not  only  acknowledged  his  son,  Xaver  von  Hb'neburg.  born 
of  this  marriage,  as  his  sole  heir  to  all  that  he,  as  Freiherr  von 
Hb'neburg,  should  possess  at  his  death,  but  that  he  wished 
hereby  to  make  over  to  him  at  the  present  time  the  Hone- 
burg,  with  all  the  buildings,  gardens,  fields,  and  waste  lands 
thereto  belonging,  upon  the  sole  condition  that  the  boy's 
mother  should  be  allowed  the  use  and  control  of  it  during  his 
minority.  "  Small  in  value  as  the  gift  is,"  the  paper  concluded, 
"  it  is  all  that  now  belongs  to  the  Von  Hbneburg  race,  and  by 
this  act  I  wish  to  convince  my  son,  for  whom  I  hope  to  pro- 
vide abundantly  from  the  income  of  the  Gleichenau  estates, 
that  my  love  endows  him  with  all  over  which  I  have  power  of 
disposal."  The  Professor  read  this  paper  three  or  four  times, 
examining  the  seal  and  the  notary's  signature.  Unquestionably, 
here  was  a  document  the  validity  of  which  could  be  proved 
in  any  court  of  law.  According  to  it,  he  was  lord  of  this  ruin 

13* 


150  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

of  Honeburg,  in  which  he  had  been  offered  a  shelter  for  the 
night, — he  had  been  so  for  thirty  years,  and  learned  the  fact 
now  for  the  first  time.  The  document  had  been  given  into 
his  mother's  keeping,  and  she  had  valued  it  so  little  that 
she  had  left  it  behind  her  when  she  left  his  birthplace.  Was 
it  because  the  place  had  seemed  to  her  so  worthless  ?  Hardly. 
But  she  hated  the  man  who  had  given  it  to  her  son,  and  she 
had  left  the  Honeburg,  evidently  resolved  that  her  son  should 
bear  her  name  and  should  grow  up  in  ignorance  of  that  of  her 
thankless  and  faithless  husband. 

It  was  strange.  As  the  heap  of  letters  laid  aside  as  read 
accumulated  on  his  left  hand,  his  sentiments  underwent  an 
astonishing  change.  He  cordially  loved  his  mother,  he  was 
grateful  to  her  for  her  care  of  him,  the  many  sacrifices  she 
had  made  in  his  behalf,  and  the  thousand  proofs  of  her  tender 
affection  ;  he  could  not  but  admit  that  one  of  the  chief  causes 
of  her  grief  and  despair  had  been  the  thought  of  her  child 
who  was  to  lose  a  father ;  her  love  for  her  husband  had  been 
most  fervent  and  passionate, — her  sufferings  had  been  great 
in  proportion*;  and  after  her  life  had  been  shattered,  as  it  were, 
the  manner  in  which  she  had  relied  solely  upon  her  own 
efforts,  and  refused  all  other  aid,  was  proof  of  extraordinary 
force  of  character;  and  yet  he  could  not  but  feel  more  and 
more  that  the  man  who  had  wrought  all  this  wrong  was  some- 
thing to  him,  that  he  could  not  be  as  angry  with  him  as  he 
seemed  to  deserve,  and  that  he  could  not  refuse  him  a  large 
share  of  sympathy.  Those  two  people,  lie  reflected,  could 
have  made  each  other  happy  only  for  as  long  as  their  several 
peculiarities  of  temperament  were  held  in  abeyance  ;  if  all  this 
had  not  happened  to  separate  them,  they  would  not  have  pur- 
sued life's  pathway  much  further  arm-in-arm, — they  would 
have  become  estranged,  and  perhaps  neither  would  ever  have 
reached  any  desirable  goal.  Camilla  Bellarota  was  a  born 
artist. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  151 

The  further  course  of  events,  so  far  as  it  was  to  be  gathered 
from  these  papers,  strengthened  him  in  this  idea.  The  Frei- 
herr  declared  that  during  the  short  period  of  their  marriage 
he  had  become  convinced  that  an  enduring  union  between  them 
was  impossible.  He  could  not  compel  his  wife  to  consent  to 
a  divorce,  but  he  should  henceforth  live  away  from  her,  and 
he  hoped  that  time  would  bring  her  the  power  to  see  and 
judge  more  clearly  as  to  her  course.  Her  reply  to  this  must 
have  been  the  announcement  of  her  intention  to  go  upon  the 
stage,  for  a  letter  from  the  Freiherr  ensued,  evidently  written 
in  extreme  irritation,  in  which  he  distinctly  and  emphatically 
forbade  any  such  step  on  her  part.  Several  others,  all  occu- 
pied with  the  same  subject,  were  found,  until  at  last  he  briefly 
and  sternly  declared  that  persistence  in  her  determination  would 
constitute  a  sufficient  plea  for  a  divorce  from  the  Count  of 
Gleichenau,  and  that  he  should  not  fail  to  avail  himself  of  it. 
This  was  the  last  letter  in  his  handwriting,  and  it  was  blis- 
tered here  and  there  with  tears.  According  to  the  old  gar- 
dener, Camilla  had  delayed  her  departure  from  the  Hbneburg 
for  some  time  after  receiving  the  letter  containing  money,  of 
which  he  had  told.  Perhaps  she  had  pondered  long  whether 
she  should  disregard  the  menace,  which  was  certainly  the  result 
of  stern  determination  on  her  husband's  part.  But  at  last 
she  had  thrown  all  consideration  to  the  winds,  and  had  gone 
forth  into  the  world  with  her  child,  to  pursue  the  vocation  for 
which  she  was  born.  The  Count  of  Gleichenau  had  doubtless 
shortly  received  intelligence  of  the  singer's  brilliant  success, 
and  had  easily  obtained  a  divorce. 

The  candle  had  burned  low  in  the  socket ;  the  Professor 
extinguished  it,  and,  throwing  the  window  wide  open,  leaned 
out  into  the  cool  night-air.  The  heavens  were  clear,  sprinkled 
with  glittering  stars,  a  gentle  breeze  rustled  among  the  tops 
of  the  trees,  and  from  a  crevice  in  the  ruins  a  moping  owl 
sent  forth  its  melancholy  cry.  Was  his  Katrine  asleep  and 


152  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

dreaming?  How  little  the  dear  child  knew  of  what  was  now 
agitating  his  very  soul ! 

Not  until  after  an  hour  spent  in  deep  reverie  did  he  betake 
himself  to  bed,  where  he  slept  until  late  the  next  morning. 

The  gardener's  daughter  had  twice  served  the  coffee,  and 
twice  cleared  it  away,  when  he  at  last  appeared  for  what  was 
almost  a  mid-day  meal.  His  healthy  nature  had  recovered  its 
wonted  tone  after  his  hours  of  sleep ;  his  nerves  were  no 
longer  shaken  by  the  agitating  revelations  of  the  previous 
evening;  he  was  even  ready  to  jest  again.  "Bygones  are 
bygones,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he  dressed  ;  "  those  tears  were 
dried  long  ago ;  those  sighs — there  is  not  even  an  echo  of 
them  left.  Each  of  those  two  has  long  passed  the  meridian 
of  life,  and  is  upon  the  downward  path  ;  the  chance  that  re- 
vealed all  that  vanished  time  to  me  thus  late  made  it  present 
to  me  last  night.  What  influence  it  may  have  upon  my  life 
is  most  uncertain.  In  the  clear  light  of  to-day  I  will  let  it 
take  its  place  for  me  also  in  the  past." 

Accordingly,  he  did  not  fail  to  compliment  the  sergeant's 
widow  upon  the  excellence  of  the  coffee  and  the  breakfast, 
or  to  observe  that  Lena  was  this  morning  attired  very  pret- 
tily and  quite  like  a  town-bred  maiden.  He  discovered  also 
that  the  girl  was  remarkably  well  educated,  more  thoroughly 
and  carefully  than  many  a  daughter  of  the  aristocracy  who 
had  masters  by  the  dozen  at  her  command. 

"  Where  will  your  pretty  daughter  find  a  lover  in  this  soli- 
tude and  seclusion?"  he  jestingly  asked  the  mother. 

She  sighed.  "  It  is  indeed  very  lonely  and  quiet  here,  but 
sometimes  we  mix  with  our  kind.  Almost  every  Sunday  we 
go  to  town  to  church,  and  I  see  many  a  fine  gentleman  turn 
to  stare  after  my  Lena's  pretty  face.  One  and  another  comes 
here  from  time  to  time  ;  but  the  girl  holds  her  head  very  high, 
because  the  Vogelsteins,  she  says,  have  patrician  blood  in  their 
veins.  And  yet  I  do  not  say  that  an  upright,  honest  man, 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  153 

with  his  heart  in  the  right  place,  would  be  unwelcome  to 
us  all." 

Lena  brought  a  basket  of  ripe  cherries,  fresh  from  the 
garden.  Her  grandfather,  in  the  joy  of  his  heart,  had  let  fall 
something  of  the  previous  night's  conversation,  and  she  asked, 
in  a  tone  of  gay  raillery,  "  Are  you  our  Freiherr,  then,  or  not  ? 
How  can  we  pay  you  due  respect  unless  we  know  ?" 

"  Oh,  if  the  Professor  does  not  inspire  respect,  Fraulein 
Lena,"  Schonrade  said,  with  a  laugh,  "  the  Freiherr  will  come 
off  but  poorly.  You  are  too  familiar  with  the  length  and 
breadth  of  his  noble  possessions." 

"  We  cannot  tell  what  they  may  be  worth,"  the  old  gardener 
gravely  interposed.  "Not  long  ago  there  were  some  gentlemen 
here  surveying  the  meadow  and  the  sandy  tract.  There  was 
some  talk  of  a  new  railroad,  and  they  wanted  space  for  a  depot 
and  machine-shops.  They  thought  I  had  the  disposal  of  the 
land,  and  offered  me  a  sum  for  it  that  I  should  hardly  dare  to 
mention.  And  yet  I  rather  think  they  hoped  to  drive  a  close 
bargain  with  so  poor  a  man.  They  probably  had  recourse  to 
the  Graf  von  GMchenau." 

From  these  words  the  Professor  concluded  that  Vogelstein 
knew  nothing  of  the  deed  of  gift.  He  might  have  put  the 
paper  in  his  pocket  and  carried  it  off,  but  he  could  not  for  a 
moment  contemplate  such  an  abuse  of  confidence.  He  took 
the  old  man  up-stairs  and  delivered  up  to  him  again  all  the 
papers,  showing  him  the  important  deed  and  commending  it 
to  his  special  care.  "  I  cannot  ask  you,"  he  said,  "  to  let  me 
take  this  paper,  for  I  am  still  only  a  stranger  to  you,  and  must 
make  good  my  claim,  although  I  am  sure  that  I  could  easily 
satisfy  your  mind  on  this  point.  But  I  am  not  yet  certain 
whether  I  shall  find  it  best,  in  my  own  interest,  to  vindicate 
my  rights  here ;  and  therefore  you  will  certainly  not  object  to 
my  taking  a  copy  of  this  deed,  and  referring,  if  necessary,  to 
the  original  in  your  possession." 
G* 


154  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

The  gardener  gladly  consented.  "  I  am  sure  you  are  our 
Freiherr's  son,"  he  said,  "  and  I  only  pray  Heaven  to  grant  its 
blessing  upon  all  you  undertake." 

He  brought  paper  and  pen.  In  an  hour  Schonrade  had  fin- 
ished, and  bade  good-bye  to  his  kind  hosts.  He  reached  his 
hotel  in  time  to  pay  his  reckoning  and  leave  by  the  express 
train  for  Berlin. 

On  the  long  journey  he  had  sufficient  leisure  to  think  over 
all  that  had  occurred,  and  to  form  his  plans  for  the  future. 


CHAPTER    XL 

THERE  were  many  surmises  in  the  villa  in  the  Thiergarten- 
strasse  as  to  the  cause  of  the  Professor's  absence  for  two  con- 
secutive days.  The.  Councillor's  wife  received  his  card,  left 
for  her  with  the  servants,  but  had  heard  nothing  further  from 
him.  Katrine  judged  it  best  to  mention  having  seen  him,  as 
he  had  of  course  been  observed  to  enter  the  pavilion,  but  she 
naturally  made  no  further  reference  to  his  visit,  and  no  one 
felt  any  curiosity  on  the  subject.  Who  could  suspect  that 
those  few  minutes  had  been  a  crisis  in  two  lives  ? 

"  You  must  stop  at  his  rooms  as  you  come  home  from 
'Change,"  the  Councillor's  wife  said  to  her  husband.  "  He  may 
be  ill,  and  it  would  be  very  unkind  to  take  no  notice  of  his 
absence."  She  found  the  evenings  very  tiresome,  and  had  con- 
stant headache  again. 

Mr.  Fairfax  offered  to  call  on  the  Professor. 

"  But  why  ?"     Lilli  inquired.    "  He  might  think— 

"  What  might  he  think  ?"  her  mother  asked,  with  more 
asperity  than  the  timid  remark  seemed  to  warrant.  "  The  Pro- 
fessor is  our  dear  friend,  and  it  is  no  more  than  proper  that 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  155 

Mr.  Fairfax,  who  has  learned  to  value  him,  should  ask  after 
his  welfare." 

Lilli  made  no  reply.  She  had  not  altogether  regretted 
Schonrade's  absence,  since  she  had  not  been  the  cause  of  it. 
These  few  days  of  uninterrupted  intercourse  with  the  young 
Englishman,  during  which  she  had  seen  very  little  of  Katrine, 
who  had  been  busy  with  some  embroidery  and  seemed  to  like 
to  be  alone,  had  convinced  her  that  the  society  of  the  man  of 
science  was  not  necessary  to  her  happiness.  The  young  people 
were  growing  very  intimate,  and,  although  no  formal  declara- 
tion had  as  yet  been  made,  there  were  many  signs  of  an  ap- 
proaching betrothal.  The  Councillor's  wife  observed  this  with 
satisfaction ;  her  husband's  wishes  were  on  the  eve  of  accom- 
plishment. 

Mr.  Fairfax  inquired  at  the  Professor's  rooms,  and  found 
that  he  was  absent  from  the  city ;  his  landlady  could  not  tell 
whither  he  had  gone  or  how  long  he  would  be  away.  Frau 
Wiesel  thought  such  a  sudden  departure  very  odd, — leaving 
no  address,  either.  "  Did  he  say  nothing  to  you  about  it  ?"  she 
asked,  turning  to  Katharina ;  '•  it  is  extremely  strange."  The 
poor  child  felt  the  blood  rush  to  her  cheeks,  and  bent  her  head 
low  over  her  embroidery,  as  she  replied  that  she  had  seen  him 
but  for  a  few  moments,  and  that  probably  some  sudden  occur- 
rence  

"  Of  course,  of  course  !"  Frau  Wiesel  assented  ;  "  we  shall 
soon  learn  that  there  is  no  cause  for  our  anxiety.  One  grows 
so  accustomed  to  seeing  people,  and  then,  in  turn,  to  their  ab- 
sence. He  could  not  have  gone  to  Wiesbaden  with  us,  at  all 
events."  Her  thoughts  were  again  occupied  with' the  contem- 
plated pleasure-trip. 

Katrine  had  put  the  rose  that  Xaver  had  given  her  in  a 
glass  of  water,  in  her  own  room,  and  tended  it  carefully.  Be- 
fore it  withered,  he  must  be  back  again,  she  thought.  Lilli 
wondered  at  the  care  thus  bestowed.  "  Why  are  you  so  de- 


156  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

voted  to  that  one  rose  ?"  she  asked ;  "  there  are  hundreds  far 
finer  in  the  garden,  and  you  can  have  as  many  of  them  as  you 
like  every  day,  you  know." 

Katrine  laughed  archly.  "  This  rose  is  very  different  from 
the  rest,"  she  replied  ;  "  can't  you  see  that?" 

"  Not  at  all.     I  think  it  faded  and  poor-looking." 

"  It  has  a  very  rare  and  peculiar  fragrance." 

"  That  is  pure  imagination." 

"  Perhaps  so." 

The  next  morning  Katrine  found  a  rose  in  a  vase  of  water 
in  Lilli's  room.  "  You  too  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  dear !"  she  replied,  with  some  embarrassment,  "  Mr. 
Fairfax  plucked  it  yesterday  and  gave  it  to  me.  It  is  very  silly 
to  save  one  rose,  when  there  is  a  garden-full ;  but  then  he  did 
it  so  kindly,  and  said " 

«  What  did  he  say  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  can't  tell  you.  I  ought  to  have  thrown  the  rose 
away,  I  know." 

"  Yet  there  it  is  in  water,  and  there  it  will  be,  I  wager,  until  „ 
it  is  entirely  faded  and  its  fragrance  is  all  gone.     Then  it  will 
probably  be  pressed  and  preserved." 

"  What  nonsense !" 

Katrine  shook  her  finger  at  her.  "  Oh,  Lilli,  how  faithless 
you  are  to  your  Professor " 

"  Katrine !" 

"  Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind  !" 

"  You  must  confess  that  all  that  was  very  stupid " 

"  With  pleasure,  my  dear." 

Lilli  was  struck  by  a  sudden  idea.  "  Tell  me — that  rose  of 
yours " 

"  Make  yourself  easy.  Mr.  Fairfax  did  not  give  it  to 
me." 

Lilli  pouted  prettily.     "  I'm  quite  sure  of  that." 

"  Oh,  indeed !" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  157 

"  But  did  some  one  else ?" 

Katharina  laid  a  finger  on  her  lips.  "Don't  ask  yourself 
riddles,  my  dear,  that  all  your  wisdom  will  never  solve." 

"  What !  you  have  secrets  from  me  !  And  I  tell  you  every- 
thing !  Down  upon  your  knees  and  confess  !" 

Katrine  sighed.  "  Yes,  if  you  could  only  give  me  absolu- 
tion." And  that  was  all  she  would  say. 

That  very  day  the  post  brought  two  letters  for  "  Fr'dulein 
Katharina  Ambergcr."  She  took  them  hastily  from  the  ser- 
vant, glanced  at  their  addresses,  and  put  them,  unopened,  into 
her  pocket.  "  From  my  mother,"  she  said  to  Lilli,  who  was 
with  her. 

"And  the  other?" 

"  From  my  brother  in  Italy,"  she  replied,  instantly,  without 
looking  up. 

"  It  did  not  look  like  a  German  hand ;  it  seemed  to  me  more 
French." 

"  Oh,  Moritz  often  uses  the  Italian  characters." 

"  Moritz  ?" 

"  I  meant  to  say  Philip." 

"  But  that  letter  had  a  German  post-mark.  Let  me 
see  it." 

"  How  curious  you  are  !     I  will  go  up-stairs  and  read  it." 

"  Why  not  read  it  here?     I'll  not  disturb  you." 

Katharina  gave  her  a  kiss,  and  hurried  out  of  the  library. 

She  locked  herself  up  in  her  own  room,  threw  herself  into 
an  arm-chair  by  the  window,  arid  looked  at  the  two  unopened 
letters  in  her  lap,  delaying  the  decisive  moment  that  their  con- 
tents would  surely  bring  her.  She  was  not  familiar  with  the 
Professor's  handwriting,  but  she  never  doubted  that  the  second 
letter  was  from  him.  Yet  she  opened  her  mother's  first,  for 
she  knew  it  would  be  the  more  important  of  the  two,  and  she 
would  read  her  lover's  words  when  they  might  be  needed  as 
comfort.  Frau  Barbara  Amberger  wrote  : — 

14 


158  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

"  My  DEAR  CHILD, — I  have  received  a  visit  to-day  from  a 
certain  Professor  Schonrade,  who  has  said  some  very  strange 
things  to  me, — unfortunately,  having  reference  to  you.  I  can- 
not at  all  imagine  that  you  have  given  him  the  encouragement 
which  he  speaks  of  having  received :  you  could  not  have  so 
far  forgotten  what  you  owe  to  your  family  and  to  your  own 
self-respect.  At  all  events,  I  must  interpose  my  authority  to 
prevent  any  continuance  of  your  intercourse  with  him,  and  it 
is  inconsistent  with  my  sense  of  maternal  duty  to  allow  you  to 
remain  any  longer  beneath  a  roof  from  which  I  have  no  right 
to  exclude  such  bold  intruders.  To  avoid  all  remark,  I  do  not 
recall  you  to  your  home,  but  shall  come  to  Berlin  to  take  you 
with  me  upon  a  journey,  which  we  can  afterwards  shorten  at 
our  pleasure.  I  have  informed  Frau  Wiesel  of  my  plans  in  a 
manner  that  can  awaken  no  suspicion  ;  and  it  is  your  part,  my 
dear  child,  so  to  conduct  yourself  that  neither  we  nor  you  may 
experience  further  annoyance  from  this  disagreeable  occur- 
rence. All  discussion  I  will  postpone  until  we  meet.  In  the 
mean  time,  hoping  to  find  you  the  same  good  and  obedient 
child  that  you  have  ever  been,  I  am  your  loving  mother, 

BARBARA  AMBERGER." 

Katharina  knew  it  all  now, — her  worst  forebodings  were 
fulfilled.  The  letter  dropped  from  her  trembling  hand  into 
her  lap ;  the  enclosure  to  the  Councillor's  wife  fell  upon  the 
floor.  Her  eyes  grew  dim  as  she  looked  out  of  the  window  at 
the  acacias  waving  in  the  breeze,  across  the  glass  containing 
her  poor  rose,  the  leaves  of  which  had  fallen  off  in  the  pre- 
vious night  and  were  strewn  upon  the  window-sill.  She  did 
not  wonder  what  was  to  be  done, — what  the  future  had  in 
store  for  her  if  she  obeyed  or  resisted  her  mother's  will ;  her 
thoughts  were  simple  sadness  for  her  happiness  destroyed. 
Now  she  saw  how,  in  spite  of  all  her  prudent  foresight,  her 
heart  had  been  in  reality  filled  with  hope  that  her  lover's 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  159 

powers  of  persuasion  would  have  won  to  him  both  her  mother 
and  her  brother.  The  dream  was  over.  She  burst  into  tears, 
and  not  until  they  had  relieved  and  soothed  her  did  she  open 
the  second  letter  and  read : 

"  MY  DEAREST, — No  oak  ever  fell  at  the  first  stroke  of  the 
axe ;  no  need,  therefore,  to  lose  courage.  Certainly  it  was 
rather  rash  to  invade  an  old  patrician  house  with  a  modest 
demand  for  the  hand  of  its  only  daughter ;  but  there  must 
be  a  beginning  to  everything.  The  fact  is  that  I  have  not 
prospered  in  my  suit, — there  is  no  disguising  it.  But  I  do 
not  at  all  despair  of  victory  in  the  end,  if  you  will  only  be  true 
and  steadfast.  Let  no  reproach  disturb  you,  my  darling  ;  you 
have  done  right  in  following  the  dictates  of  your  heart.  Some 
of  Frau  Barbara's  objections  I  am  sure  I  could  remove  by 
bringing  to  my  aid  a  few  facts  with  regard  to  myself  which  I 
have  just  discovered  by  chance.  Your  brother  Moritz  has 
selfish  views  with  regard  to  you, — so  selfish  that  I  cannot  but 
look  upon  his  opposition  with  contempt.  But  even  although 
this  letter  were  a  thick  book,  I  could  hardly  tell  you  all  in  it, 
— I  must  speak  with  you  face  to  face,  my  own  love, — must  let 
you  know  all  that  has  happened,  and  advise  with  you  as  to 
what  is  next  to  be  done.  I  have  no  doubt  that  your  mother 
will  do  all  in  her  power  to  separate  us.  This  can  do  no  harm 
if  we  are  sure  of  each  other,  but  we  must  have  one  confiden- 
tial talk  to  arrange  future  communication  with  each  other,  in 
spite  of  all  the  Argus  eyes  in  the  world.  Where  shall  we  meet 
for  such  an  interview  ?  Hardly  at  the  villa, — I  cannot  think 
it  advisable  to  make  a  confidante  of  Frau  Wiesel.  She  would 
not  lend  her  assistance  to  what  your  mother  disapproved,  and 
even  could  we  persuade  her  to  befriend  us,  we  should  incur 
too  weighty  an  obligation  by  doing  so.  We  had  better  act  in- 
dependently. I  propose  that  we  should  meet  at  my  mother's, 
to  whom  I  will  tell  all,  and  who  will  delight  to  know  the  girl 


160  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

in  whom  her  only  son's  hopes  for  a  happy  future  are  centred. 
She  loves  me,  and  she  will  dearly  love  you.  To-day  I  shall 
pay  my  usual  visit  at  the  villa.  I  shall  at  least  see  you, — ah, 
what  a  joy  that  will  be !  But  even  if  we  have  an  opportunity 
of  saying  a  few  confidential  words  to  each  other,  they  will  be 
so  few  that  I  write  you  now  that  you  may  be  ready  to  let  me 
know  whether  and  when  you  can  come  to  my  mother,  or  if 
you  can  propose  any  better  plan.  Courage,  dearest  Katrine, 
courage,  and  just  as  much  daring  as  will  assure  me  of  your 
acquiescence  in  my  plan.  Always  and  forever  your 

XA-VER." 

This  letter,  unsatisfactory  as  it  might  be  thought,  neverthe- 
less comforted  her  extremely.  After  what  her  mother  had 
said,  the  announcement  of  her  lover's  want  of  success  was  no 
shock  to  her,  and  all  the  rest  that  he  wrote  was  so  reassuring. 
She  kissed  the  paper  again  and  again  ;  no  misgiving  that  her 
own  resolve  could  be  affected  by  the  opposition  of  her  family 
troubled  her  soul.  He  loved  her  and  she  loved  him, — here 
was  a  truth  for  which  it  was  a  duty  to  endure  the  worst  that 
could  befall.  It  was  only  when  this  first  ecstasy  of  delight  in 
the  consciousness  of  her  lover's  strength  and  fidelity  began  to 
yield  to  graver  reflection,  that  she  could  not  resist  feeling 
anxious  and  troubled.  Not  only  must  she  patiently  endure 
and  wait,  but  she  must  devise  some  plan  for  seeing  Xaver  in 
private,  and  this  after  her  mother's  written  injunctions  for- 
bidding all  intercourse  with  him.  Reared  as  she  had  been  in 
the  strictest  obedience  to  the  parental  rule,  she  could  not  medi- 
tate, without  absolute  terror,  any  plan  for  a  secret  rendezvous 
which  might,  after  all,  be  detected.  She  knew  that  she  was 
incapable  of  deceit,  and  to  what  might  she  not  be  exposed? 
She  must  s»  arrange  matters  that  malice  itself  should  find  no 
cause  for  blame  in  her. 

Then  she  accused  herself  of  too  great  a  dread  of  conse- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  161 

quences.  Of  course  she  would  deal  frankly  and  openly  with 
her  mother ;  in  spite  of  her  displeasure  she  would  confess  her 
love,  and  that  no  power  on  earth  should  force  her  to  be  false 
to  it.  Love  demanded  self-sacrifice,  and  it  was  hardly  a  sacri- 
fice to  conquer  her  timidity  sufficiently  to  devise  means  for  an 
interview  with  the  man  in  whom  she  reposed  absolute  confi- 
dence. And  the  interview  would  take  place  in  the  house  of 
his  mother,  a  woman  universally  esteemed,  whom  she  should 
be  proud  to  know  and  love.  But  how  should  she  explain  her 
desire  for  a  lonely  walk  so  long  as  would  be  necessary  for  the 
meeting  ?  What  if  she  made  a  promise  that  she  was  unable 
to  perform  ?  Suppose  the  Councillor's  wife  should  not  permit 
her  to  go  out  alone  ?  There  were  a  thousand  difficulties  in  her 
path.  The  more  she  pondered  them,  the  more  fanciful  all  her 
plans  for  disguising  her  intentions  seemed  to  her. 

At  last  she  decided  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  accom- 
plish anything  without  Lilli's  assistance.  Surely  she  might 
tell  her  friend  all,  and  make  her  her  accomplice,  as  it  were. 
To  be  sure,  Lilli  was  not  the  wisest  friend  in  the  world,  but 
she  had  been  greatly  interested  in  the  Professor,  and  she  was 
certainly  falling  in  love  with  Mr.  Fairfax.  She  would  under- 
stand her  and  feel  for  her,  and,  above  all,  be  silent.  Yes,  her 
friend  should  know  her  secret  and  assist  her. 

She  arose  to  look  for  Lilli  in  the  garden.  But  as  she 
unlocked  her  door  she  seemed  to  herself  over-hasty.  She 
would  wait  until  the  evening :  by  that  time  Xaver  might  have 
changed  his  mind  and  thought  of  another  plan  more  easy 
of  fulfilment.  She  seated  herself  at  her  desk,  selected  hei 
smallest  sheet  of  note-paper,  and,  in  case  any  word  of  mouth 
should  be  impossible  with  all  the  family  present,  she  wrote, 
"  I  have  had  a  letter  from  my  mother,  and  she  is  coining  to 
take  me  away  upon  a  journey  in  a  few  days.  But  I  shall 
be  true  to  all  eternity.  I  know  that  we  must  speak  together, 
and  that  we  have  no  moment  here  unobserved.  To-morrow 

14* 


162  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

forenoon,  then,  at  the  appointed  place, — if  I  can  succeed  in 
arranging  a  means  of  getting  there.  If  I  do  not  come  it  will 
not  be  my  fault.  I  am  yery  sorry,  and  very  happy.  God 
grant  all  may  turn  out  well  !  Forever  your  Katharina."  She 
folded  the  note  so  small  that  she  could  easily  conceal  it  in  her 
hand,  put  it  in  her  pocket,  and  then,  taking  the  letter  from 
her  mother  to  Frau  Wiesel  in  her  hand,  she  went  down  to  the 
drawing-room,  where  she  knew  she  should  find  the  lady  of 
the  house. 

Frau  Barbara's  note  gave  the  Councillor's  wife  no  cause  for 
suspicion  of  any  kind.  "  I  am  sorry,"  she  said,  "  that  we  are 
to  lose  you  so  soon,  and  Lilli  will  be  inconsolable.  But  I  can- 
not wonder  that  your  good  mother  wishes  you  to  accompany 
her  upon  this  journey,  which  she  has  been  so  long  desirous  of 
taking.  I  rather  think  she  is  pining  to  see  Philip,  and  means 
to  surprise  him  at  Naples  or  Rome.  Well,  I  congratulate  you 
upon  so  delightful  a  pleasure-trip.  Oh,  if  my  husband  would 
only  consent  to  let  me  have  our  travelling-carriage  packed  too ! 
This  terrible  atmosphere  will  be  my  death." 

Her  maid  brought  in  a  new  gown  which  had  just  arrived 
from  the  most  fashionable  dress-maker  in  Berlin,  and  for  a 
moment  or  two  the  lady  luxuriated  in  fancy  in  displaying  it 
at  Wiesbaden.  Then,  bethinking  herself  again  of  Katrine, 
she  said,  "  Is  your  wardrobe  quite  in  order  for  the  journey, 
my  dear  child  ?  People  dress  so  much  nowadays,  and  one 
doesn't  like  to  be  behind  the  fashion.  Your  mother  writes 
that  she  shall  spend  barely  a  day  here ;  there  will  be  no  time 
to  do  anything  then." 

It  suddenly  occurred  to  Katrine  that  here  perhaps  was  an 
opening  for  her.  She  had  thought  of  that,  she  replied,  and 
she  should  like  to  add  somewhat  to  her  stock  of  laces  and 
ribbons ;  upon  which  Frau  Wiesel  declared  that  the  carriage 
was  quite  at  her  service. 

Oh,  what  a  long  day  it  was !     The  sun  seemed  resolved 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  163 

never  to  leave  the  zenith ;  no  occupation  sufficed  to  kill  the 
time.  Again  and  again  Katrine  held  her  watch  to  her  ear, 
convinced  that  it  had  stopped.  At  last  the  streets  began 
to  grow  gay  with  equipages  and  passers-by.  The  Councillor 
came  home,  and  with  him  Mr.  Fairfax.  Dinner  was  over  at 
length,  and  coffee  was  taken  in  the  pavilion.  One  more  hour 
must  pass. 

"  How  restless  you  are  to-day  !"  Lilli  remarked.  She  was 
playing  chess  with  the  young  Englishman,  but  her  eyes  were 
everywhere.  "  Sit  down  here  by  me,  Katrine  dear,  and  see 
me  checkmate  my  adversary.  How  many  more  moves  do  you 
give  him?" 

Katrine  leaned  over  her  and  looked  at  the  game.  "  Mr. 
Fairfax  takes  the  greatest  pains,"  she  said,  "  to  be  beaten. 
You  cannot  avoid  being  victorious." 

"  How  mean  of  you  !"  Lilli  exclaimed.  "  Mr.  Fairfax  really 
plays  a  much  worse  game  than  I  do."  And,  as  she  spoke,  she 
captured  his  last  remaining  castle.  The  Englishman  smiled 
contentedly :  he  knew  he  was  winning  the  only  game  he  really 
cared  for. 

Suddenly  Lilli  moved  her  chair,  and  so  jostled  the  little 
table  that  the  chess-men  tumbled  about  upon  it.  "  The  Pro- 
fessor !"  It  was  no  news  to  Katharina,  whose  sharp  eyes 
had  already  detected  him  making  his  way  towards  the  house 
through  the  crowd  of  passers-by.  But  the  Councillor's  wife 
put  up  her  eye-glass.  "  At  last !"  she  said,  in  a  tone  of  satis- 
faction ;  "he  has  not  forgotten  us,  then." 

Schonrade  exchanged  one  hurried  glance  of  intelligence 
with  Katharina,  and  then  kissed  Frau  WieseJ's  hand  with  as 
easy  a  grace  as  if  he  had  only  taken  leave  of  her  on  the  pre- 
vious evening.  "  Do  you  call  it  well-behaved, '  ehe  a&ktd,  "  to 
leave  us  as  you  did,  without  even  letting  us  know  towards 
what  quarter  of  the  globe  we  might  send  after  you  <>«r  w:'sues 
for  a  successful  journey?" 


164  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

"  I  hardly  hoped  I  should  be  missed  here,"  he  replied.  "  I 
am  greatly  flattered  by  your  reproof,  madame." 

She  held  out  her  hand  to  him  again.  "  Let  it  be  of  service 
to  you,  then." 

Katharina  took  her  seat  upon  a  low  chair  opposite  him,  a 
little  behind  the  others,  where  she  could  now  and  then  return 
his  glance  unobserved  by  the  rest.  To  her  surprise,  he  was 
easily  induced  to  speak  of  his  absence  from  Berlin ;  but  she 
soon  saw  his  reason  for  this  want  of  reserve.  A  friend  had 
told  him  of  a  deposit  of  coal  lately  discovered  in  a  part  of  the 
country  where  he  thought  any  such  deposit  impossible.  He 
had  been  greatly  interested,  and  induced  to  interrupt  his  work 
for  several  days.  As  he  had  supposed,  however,  his  journey 
was  fruitless ;  the  coal  proved  to  be  only  a  remarkably  hard 
species  of  peat.  "  But  do  you  know,  Fraulein  Amberger,"  he 
said,  turning  to  Katharina,  "  that  my  road  led  me  past  youi 
native  town,  and  that  out  of  regard  for  you — solely,  I  assure 
you,  out  of  regard  for  you — I  stopped  two  days  there  ?"  Every 
one  wanted  to  hear  more,  and  he  told  all  that  he  could, — how 
he  had  accidentally  met  the  riding-party,  of  the  leap  across  the 
ditch,  the  supper  at  the  mill,  his  row  on  the  lake  with  Friiu- 
lein  Sidonie  Feinberg, — at  which  point  in  his  story  Katharina 
showed  signs  of  restlessness, — and  of  his  visit  to  the  Hone- 
burg.  Evidently  he  wished  to  inform  Katharina  of  all  these 
indifferent  matters,  that  their  future  interview  might  not  be 
occupied  with  such  details.  She  understood  him,  and  was 
grateful.  The  others  were  greatly  entertained,  especially  with 
the  account  of  the  Hb'neburg  and  its  latest  possessor,  which  he 
related  just  as  it  had  been  told  him  by  the  old  gardener,  and 
which  produced  the  effect  of  a  romance.  Of  course  he  made 
no  mention  of  either  his  mother  or  himself  in  the  matter. 
Twilight  set  in  before  any  one  was  aware  of  it. 

A  walk  in  the  garden  was  proposed,  and  the  Councillor  un- 
wittingly did  the  Professor  a  great  favour  by  offering  his  arm 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  165 

to  his  wife.  Mr.  Fairfax,  of  course,  never  left  Lilli's  side,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  the  Professor  escorted  Katharina.  To 
be  sure,  the  conversation  among  the  party  was  to  a  degree  gen- 
eral ;  still,  there  was  an  opportunity  now  and  then  for  a  low 
question  and  reply,  and,  as  Xaver  and  Katrine  walked  behind 
the  others,  they  could  saunter  more  slowly,  and  the  Professor 
could  press  the  little  hand  that  lay  upon  his  arm  without  fear 
of  being  observed.  It  was  indeed  a  delightful  evening. 

"  And  you  will  come  ?"  he  whispered,  when  the  conversation 
between  the  others  was  louder  than  usual. 

"  I  ought  not,"  she  answered,  in  as  low  a  tone. 

"  But  you  will  come?     My  mother  expects  you." 

"  Does  she  know  ?" 

"  She  knows  all." 

Frau  Wiesel  asked  a  question  of  the  Professor,  and  they 
were  interrupted.  Xaver  took  Katrine's  hand,  and  she  slipped 
into  his  her  note.  "  It  will  tell  you  all,"  she  whispered. 

"  Thanks,  a  thousand  thanks  !" 

"  And  your  mother  lives ?" 

He  gave  her  the  number  of  the  house. 

It  was  high  time  that  this  important  communication  should 
be  made,  for  the  Councillor's  wife  now  complained  of  the  nar- 
rowness of  the  paths,  that  forbade  more  than  two  people  to 
walk  abreast,  and,  to  remedy  this,  proposed  a  change, — setting 
the  example  by  leaving  her  husband's  arm,  and  waiting  for 
the  Professor,  who  disguised  as  best  he  could  his  dissatisfac- 
tion with  this  new  arrangement.  Wiesel,  of  course,  offered 
his  arm  to  Katharina,  and  this  degree  of  change  appeared  en- 
tirely to  satisfy  Mr.  Fairfax  and  Lilli,  who  were  by  this  time 
arm-in-arm, — Lilli  not  at  all  sorry  to  demonstrate  thus  to  the 
Professor  the  hopelessness  of  his  passion. 

Thus  they  remained  until  they  all  repaired  to  the  supper- 
table.  The  Councillor's  wife  had  uttered  all  her  choicest  com- 
monplaces, selected  from  her  beloved  romances,  about  life  and 


166  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

the  world,  and,  feeling  that  she  had  been  excessively  interest- 
ing,  applied  herself  to  her  supper  with  an  excellent  appetite. 
Wiesel  could  not  but  remark  this.  "  I  shall  have  to  engage 
you  for  my  family  physician,  Herr  Professor,''  he  said,  with  a 
sly  glance  at  his  wife. 

"  Doctor  though  I  am,"  said  Schonrade,  not  understanding 
immediately,  "  I  am,  as  you  know,  no  physician." 

"  Your  medicines  are  purely  sympathetic,"  his  stout  host 
continued,  facetiously.  "  See  how  they  suit  my  wife.  For 
some  days  she  has  lived  solely  upon  lemonade." 

"  That  is  of  no  consequence,"  his  wife  remarked,  with  a 
languid  smile  that  was  meant  to  convey  a  great  deal  to  the 
Professor.  It  was  provoking  to  have  Wiesel  joking  so  at  her 
expense ;  but  she  was  not  sorry  that  Schonrade  should  thus 
learn  what  his  society  was  to  her. 

"  If  I  am  really  fortunate  enough  to  be  of  service  to  madame 
without  any  merit  of  my  own,"  the  Professor  said,  gallantly, 
"  I  am  doubly  sorry  that  my  daily  visits  here  are  almost  at  an 
end." 

"  You  are  going  to  deny  us  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  thus 
regularly?"  asked  the  lady,  rather  surprised  at  this  unexpected 
turn  of  affairs. 

"  I  am  the  greatest  sufferer,"  he  continued,  in  the  same  tone  ; 
"  but  there  are  duties 

"Duties?" 

Lilli  blushed,  and  glanced  timidly  at  Mr.  Fairfax,  her  next 
neighbour. 

"  Duties,  madame,"  the  Professor  continued,  "  which  cer- 
tainly do  not  add  to  the  charm  of  existence,  but  which,  if  neg- 
lected, revenge  themselves  as  certainly.  For  several  weeka 
past  I  have  not  been  as  diluent  as  I  should  be,  and  the  pub- 
lisher who  has  announced  my  book  for  this  autumn  is  growing 
very  urgent.  If  I  am  to  keep  my  promise  to  him,  I  must  omit 
some  of  niy  walks  during  the  next  month  or  two."  He  wished 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  167 

to  pave  the  way  for  the  cessation  of  his  visits  after  Katrine's 
departure.  Lilli  supposed  he  was  devising  a  fitting  pretext 
for  withdrawing,  but  entertained  her  own  views  as  to  the 
cause  of  this  withdrawal  on  his  part.  She  gave  a  little  nod 
to  Katharina,  who  would  understand  it  all  too,  she  thought. 

"Why,  we  shall  be  lonely  indeed,"  said  the  Councillor's 
wife.  "  Do  you  know  that  Fraulein  Amberger  wants  to  leave 
us  too  ?" 

"Must  leave  you,"  Katharina  corrected  her.  "  My  mother 
writes  me  that  she  wishes  to  travel  for  awhile,  and  that  I  am 
to  accompany  her.  Perhaps  she  may  be  here  by  to-morrow 
evening."  This  was  for  Schonrade's  information. 

"  You  will  enjoy  yourself  greatly,  and  never  miss  us,"  said 
Frau  Wiesel. 

"  And  whither  do  you  go  ?"  the  Professor  asked. 

"  I  think  mamma  hardly  knows  that  yet  herself.  She  sel- 
dom makes  any  plan  of  travel,  but  follows  the  inclination  of 
the  hour.  She  enjoys  travel  more  in  anticipation  than  in 
reality,  I  think.  She  is  used  to  the  regularity  and  order  of  a 
home-life,  and  she  soon  wearies  of  railway-carriages  and  hotels 
and  longs  for  her  own  peaceful  rooms.  I  foresee  that  our 
present  journey  will  not  be  a  long  one :  we  shall  soon  turn 
our  faces  homeward."  This  plausible  declaration  would,  she 
thought,  forestall  any  future  expression  of  surprise  if  the 
journey  with  her  mother  should,  as  she  suspected  it  would, 
come  to  a  speedy  termination. 

"  By  the  way,  I  am  forgetting  to  tell  you  what  your  story 
of  the  Honeburg  reminded  me  of,"  exclaimed  the  Councillor, 
when  there  was  a  pause  in  the  conversation.  "  You  spoke  of 
a  Count  von  Gleichenau.  Do  you  know  that  there  is  a  gen- 
tleman of  that  name  in  Berlin  at  the  present  time  ?" 

Schonrade  listened  attentively.  This  might  be  important 
news  for  him. 

"  Perhaps  not  the  one  you  spoke  of,"  Wiesel  continued. 


168  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  My  physician  mentioned  paying  frequent  visits  to  a  Count 
Gleichenau  staying  here  with  his  son,  who  is  ill,  and  whom 
his  father  is  moving  heaven  and  earth  to  keep  alive." 

"  If  I  am  not  mistaken,"  the  Professor  remarked,  evasively, 
rf"  there  are  several  noble  families  of  that  name  in  Germany. 
It  would  be  of  small  consequence,  either,  even  if  the  man  so 
strangely  connected  with  the  old  romance  I  have  told  you 
should  really  be  in  Berlin,  since  we  do  not  know  where  to 
find  the  young  Baron  Hbneburg.  And,  besides,  who  knows 
whether  the  old  hermit  of  the  ruin  was  not,  after  all,  amusing 
himself  at  my  expense  ?"  He  was  sorry  to  have  told  the  story 
and  mentioned  the  Count's  name.  He  certainly  had  not  reck- 
oned upon  his  sudden  appearance  on  the  stage. 

The  party  broke  up  late  in  the  evening.  The  lovers  were 
obliged  to  content  themselves  with  a  slight  pressure  of  hands  ; 
but  Xaver  had  no  need  of  even  this  to  assure  him  of  his  Ka- 
trine's fidelity,  and  he  had  in  his  pocket  her  letter,  containing, 
as  she  had  told  him,  a  consent  to  his  wishes.  He  took  a  long 
walk  in  the  Thiergarten  before  returning  to  his  tods-ings. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

As  Lilli  was  undressing,  she  heard  a  knock  at  her  door. 
"  Is  it  you?"  she  asked,  knowing  that  it  must  be  Katrine. 

"  Let  me  in,"  was  heard  in  a  whisper ;  "  I  want  to  speak  to 
you." 

The  bolt  was  withdrawn.  "  Oh,  this  is  delightful !"  said 
Lilli,  embracing  her  friend.  "  Shall  we  put  out  the  light?" 

"  If  you  like.     It  is  bright  moonlight." 

"  Oh,  magnificent  moonlight !"   She.  extinguished  the  candle 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  169 

and  opened  the  window-shutters.  "  Come  here  and  take  this 
big  arm-chair,  and  I  will  sit  on  this  little  one  at  your  feet. 
There, — now  what  have  you  to  tell  me?" 

"  Can  you  keep  a  secret,  Lilli  ?" 

"  I  can  be  silent  as  the  grave."  She  laid  her  hand  on  her 
heart,  and  nestled  close  to  her  friend. 

"  This  is  a  very  important  secret,  my  child." 

"  So  much  the  better,  dear,  so  much  the  better." 

"  And  our  friendship  would  be  destroyed  forever  if  you 
should  ever  betray  to  any  living  creature " 

"  You  need  say  no  more  :  you  know  I  never  tell  anything." 

"  Not  to  your  mother,  nor  Mr.  Fairfax." 

"  Mr.  Fairfax,  indeed !  It's  likely  I  should  speak  of  such 
things  to  him !" 

"  You  soon  may.     Promise  me " 

"  I  promise — yes,  yes — I  promise !"  She  was  too  impa- 
tient even  to  wait  to  know  what  it  was  she  must  promise  so 
solemnly. 

Katrine  leaned  towards  her,  and  whispered  in  her  ear,  "  I 
am  betrothed,  dear." 

Lilli  started.    "You  are — betrothed?    I  don't  believe  it." 

"  Privately." 

"  To  whom  ?  to  whom  ?" 

"  To  Professor  Schonrade." 

An  earthquake  could  hardly  have  produced  a  more  startling 
effect  than  did  the  utterance  of  this  name.  Lilli  sprang  up, 
overthrew  the  little  chair  upon  which  she  had  been  sitting,  and 
stood  in  her  white  night-dress,  tall  and  slender  in  the  moon- 
light, like  a  ghost.  She  seemed  actually  terrified.  "To ?" 

she  ejaculated,  in  what  was  little  more  than  a  whisper.     For 
the  moment  she  could  not  pronounce  the  name. 

"  Certainly  it  is  nothing  so  very  dreadful,"  her  friend  said, 
soothingly,  startled  in  her  turn.  "  You  do  not  love  the  Pro- 
fessor." 

H  15 


170  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  No,  no !  I  do  not  love  him  !  I  hate  him  now !"  Lilli  ex- 
claimed. 

"  Because  he  loves  me  ?" 

"  No,  no !  because  I  imagined — because  I  told  you "  She 

covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  hid  it  on  Katrine's  shoulder. 

"  Oh,  never  trouble  yourself  about  that,"  Katharina  reas- 
sured her.  "  You  conducted  yourself  with  such  perfect  pro- 
priety that  the  Professor  never  suspected  your  preference  for 
him.  You  ought  to  be  very  glad,  dear,  that  I  did  as  you 
begged  me,  and  diverted  his  attentions  from  you,  for  your  heart 
is  now " 

"  Oh,  don't  say  anything  about  that !"  Lilli  pouted  ;  "  you 
have  deceived  me, — and  it  is  very  vexatious  to  have  taken  such 
pains  for  nothing." 

"  You  would  have  liked  to  repulse  the  poor  Professor,  and 
to  see  him  waste  away  in  despair." 

"  Oh,  men  don't  waste  away  in  despair.  Who  knows  but 
what,  if  he  really  had — 

"  Oh,  are  you  jealous?     But  the  mischief  is  done  now." 

"  Yes,  it  can't  be  helped,  and  I  must  endure  with  heroism. 
Oh,  you  traitors  !  But  now  tell  me — confess — explain — how 
could  it  all  come  about  and  I  know  nothing  of  it?"  She 
pushed  the  low  chair  nearer  to  her  friend  than  before,  and 
seated  herself  again. 

"  Are  you  entirely  reconciled  ?" 

"  I  must  be.     Tell  me  all,— begin  !" 

Not  until  the  placid  moon  had  sunk  behind  the  trees  did 
Katrine  slip  off  on  tiptoe  to  her  own  room,  where  she  soon 
slept  calmly,  for  a  plan  of  operations  had  been  arranged,  which 
the  next  day  was  to  see  carried  into  effect.  Lilli  had  shown 
herself  even  more  skilful  in  devices  for  assisting  the  lovers 
than  Katrine  had  expected,  although,  as  she  gave  her  friend 
a  last  good-night  kiss,  she  solemnly  declared  that  she  would 
never  look  upon  the  Professor  again. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  171 

The  Couvicillor's  wife  had  finished  her  breakfast  the  next 
morning  when  the  young  girls  entered  the  breakfast-room. 
Katrine  soon  left  it  to  write  a  few  lines  to  her  brother,  and 
Lilli  made  use  of  her  absence  to  carry  out  the  plan  formed  the 
night  before.  She  wished,  she  said,  before  her  friend  left  her, 
to  present  her  with  some  token  of  her  affection,  and,  as  Katrine 
had  mentioned  that  she  was  going  to  spend  the  morning  in 
shopping,  she  proposed  to  accompany  her,  and  discover  what 
gift  would  be  most  agreeable  to  her.  Her  mother  thought  it 
an  excellent  idea.  "  And  then  I  need  not  leave  the  house  to- 
day," she  said ;  "  I  had  meant  to  accompany  Katrine  in  the 
carriage,  but  really  I  feel  so  languid  and  exhausted  that  it  is  a 
great  relief  to  have  you  go  in  my  place.  Buy  her  something 
very  pretty, — she  is  a  dear  child."  The  simple  plot  was  en- 
tirely successful. 

A  little  after  eleven  the  two  girls  were  driven  from  home, — 
Lilli  in  most  exuberant  spirits,  Katrine  very  grave  and  silent, 
— to  a  large  shop  which  possessed  the  double  advantage  of 
being  very  near  the  house  occupied  by  Camilla  Bellarota  and 
of  opening  upon  a  parallel  street  at  the  back  of  the  salesroom. 
"  You  can  leave  me  and  pass  directly  into  the  back  street," 
Lilli  instructed  her  friend,  "  as  soon  as  we  have  asked  to  see 
the  laces.  I  will  linger  here  as  long  as  possible,  and  then  drive 
to  the  other  shops,  mentioning  to  the  footman  that  your  busi- 
ness here  is  not  yet  concluded,  and  that  I  am  to  return  for 
you ;  so  you  will  have  plenty  of  time  to  pay  your  visit  to 
Madame  Bellarota.  Don't  hurry  too  much,  dearest  Katrine, 
— you  shall  have  a  whole  long  hour.  My  regards  to  your  Pro- 
fessor, and  tell  him  that  he  is  a  most  objectionable  person,  to 
induce  young  girls  to  disobey  their  mothers." 

The  plot  was  ajj  eminent  success.  Katharina  was  admitted 
by  Madame  Bellarota's  old  servant,  and  conducted  to  the  little 
drawing-room,  where  the  Professor  received  her  and  presented 
her  to  his  mother.  Camilla  held  out  both  hands  to  her,  and 


172  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

kissed  her  on  either  cheek.  "  What  a  beautiful  woman  !" 
thought  Katharina. 

Immediately  upon  his  return  to  Berlin,  Schonrade  had  con- 
fided his  love  to  his  mother.  He  would  have  done  so  even 
had  he  not  felt  the  need  of  her  assistance,  for  he  could  not 
endure  the  thought  of  reserve  in  such  a  matter  with  a  mother 
who  had  always  been  to  him  so  tender  and  devoted.  Camilla 
was  surprised, — is  not  every  mother  surprised  when  her  son 
comes  to  her  with  a  confession  of  his  love  for  another  ? — 
and  perhaps  if  the  course  of  his  love  had  run  smoothly  her 
old  antipathy  to  everything  connected  with  Katrine's  birth- 
place would  have  aroused  her  antagonism.  But  that  his  suit 
had  been  denied  by  the  merchant  kinsfolk  of  his  love,  a  suit 
that  her  maternal  pride  prompted  her  to  feel  conferred  honour 
where  it  was  proffered,  produced  an  effect  upon  her  mind 
most  favourable  to  her  son's  wishes.  She  instantly  enlisted 
herself  upon  the  side  of  the  young  people  against  Frau 
Barbara  and  Moritz  Amberger,  was  indignant  at  the  narrow- 
mindedness  and  cold  hearts  of  "those  trades-people,"  and 
evinced  the  liveliest  interest  in  the  girl  upon  whose  steadfast 
fidelity  in  the  face  of  all  opposition  Xaver  placed  such  im- 
plicit reliance.  He  had  a  warm  partisan  in  his  mother. 

She  knew  nothing  as  yet  of  his  experiences  at  the  Hone- 
burg.  He  would  taste  the  delight  of  presenting  these  two, 
dearer  to  him  than  all  else  in  the  world,  to  each  other  before 
any  awakened  memories  of  old  sad  days  should  have  cast  a 
gloom  over  his  mother's  mind  and  aroused  her  passionate  re- 
grets. Let  her  think  that  he  was  occupied  solely,  as  he  was 
chiefly,  with  his  wooing  in  that  old  town,  and  she  could  for 
the  present  look  back  with  equanimity  upon  his  visit  there, 
in  view  of  which  her  thoughts  had  been  filled  with  such  sad 
forebodings.  His  course  in  the  future  should  be  guided  by 
circumstances. 

Camilla  was  all  gentleness  and  amiability.    The  charm  of  her 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  173 

manner,  her  caressing  kindness,  soon  placed  Katrine  entirely 
at  her  ease,  and  called  forth  her  son's  grateful  glances.  There 
was  only  one  cause  for  discontent  on  his  part, — he  was  not  left 
alone  with  his  Katrine  for  a  single  instant;  to  be  sure  he  could 
take  her  hand,  draw  off  her  glove,  and  imprint  kiss  after  kiss 
upon  her  little  rosy  palm,  but  here  were  two  people  pledged 
to  each  other  for  life  whose  lips  had  never  once  met  to  seal 
the  bond  between  them. 

The  time  was  limited,  too  limited  to  allow  of  any  range  of 
topics  of  conversation.  Xaver  reported  every  particular  of 
his  interviews  with  Frau  Barbara  and  Moritz,  and  felt  it  his 
duty  to  inform  Katrine  of  her  brother's  views  with  regard  to 
Otto  Feinberg.  "  I  do  not  believe,"  he  said,  "  that  Moritz 
likes  the  man ;  he  certainly  has  no  real  friendship  for  him, 
but  he  is  weak,  and  seems  to  be  entirely  influenced  by  these 
business  associates  of  his,  to  whom  he  is  under  certain  obliga- 
tions. His  relations  with  Sidonie  seeru  to  me  most  unfortu- 
nate, although  in  the  interests  of  his  business  he  is  disposed 
to  make  every  concession  to  her.  I  think  he  will  be  greatly 
to  be  pitied  if  he  ever  marries  her,  for  the  entire  happiness 
of  his  life  will  be  sacrificed  by  such  a  union ;  and  yet  it 
would  be  the  best  thing  that  could  happen  for  us,  for  Ignaz 
Feinberg  would  be  obliged  to  stand  by  his  son-in-law,  what- 
ever his  brother  Otto  might  say.  If,  on  the  contrary,  any- 
thing should  occur  to  sever  the  connection  between  Moritz 
and  Sidonie,  Otto  Feinberg  would  be  your  brother's  last  hope, 
and  he  would  do  everything  in  his  power  to  make  you  yield 
to  his  wishes.  You  shake  your  head,  dearest  Katrine.  I 
know  that  all  his  efforts  would  be  vain,  but,  depend  upon  it, 
Moritz  would  present  the  matter  to  you  under  aspects  that 
might  cause  you  many  a  hard  struggle.  Least  to  be  dreaded 
in  the  case  will  be  the  loss  of  your  property.  In  addition,  he 
will  probably  tell  you  that  the  hostility  of  the  Feinbergs  will 
bring  ruin  upon  the  ancient  house  of  Amberger,  and  this  con- 

15* 


174  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

sideration  will  induce  your  mother,  who  at  present  has  no 
liking  for  these  parvenus,  to  join  her  voice  to  your  brother's 
in  entreating  you  to  sacrifice  for  their  sakes  your  own  inclina- 
tions. I  dare  not  conceal  this  from  you,  and  you  must  judge 
yourself  whether  your  heart  is  brave  enough  to  endure  the 
struggle,  and  whether  its  sufferings  will  not  be  too  intense 
even  in  victory." 

Katharina  looked  gravely  at  Camilla,  who  was  eagerly 
awaiting  her  answer. 

"  I  will  never  be  Otto  Feinberg's  wife,"  she  said,  after  a 
pause,  in  a  low  tone,  as  entirely  devoid  of  passionate  inflection 
as  it  was  of  faltering  or  indecision  ;  "  and  I  will  love  you 
while  life  lasts.  God  grant  I  may  be  yours  one  day !" 

"  Your  being  so,"  he  replied,  "  depends  upon  yourself 
alone." 

She  looked  at  him  with  eyes  full  of  fervent  affection,  and 
slowly  shook  her  head.  "  Not  upon  myself  alone.  My  heart 
is  free  to  choose,  and  will  always  insist  upon  its  rights,  but 
I  will  never  stand  before  the  altar  without  my  mother's  bless- 
ing. I  came  resolved  to  tell  you  this.  If  you  love  me,  never 
try  to  make  me  false  to  this  duty." 

"  I  will  do  all  that  I  can,"  he  replied,  perhaps  not  altogether 
satisfied,  "  to  win  her  consent.  But  if  she  persists  in  her 
opposition,  if  neither  prayers  nor  argument  can  move  her " 

Katharina  laid  her  hand  upon  his  arm.  "  Do  not  let  us 
think  of  that  to-day.  Let  us  believe,  as  you  wrote  me,  that 
everything  will  come  right  in  the  end.  I  will  bind  myself  by 
no  promise  that  could  offend  my  conscience ;  and  I  will  not 
force  a  decision  which  is  unnecessary  at  present,  and  which 
might  grieve  you.  Trust  me,  I  desire  nothing  more  fervently 
than  to  be  yours  ;  and  in  resigning  such  happiness  I  should 
be  the  greatest  sufferer.  Indeed,  you  may  trust  me." 

"  Right,  right,  dear  child !"  Camilla  exclaimed,  embracing 
her.  "  Xaver  is  my  only  son,  and  dear  to  me,  Heaven  knows, 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  175 

as  son  can  be  to  mother.  I  hold  him  incapable  of  an  un- 
worthy act,  and  yet Whoever  has  once  built  up  the 

fabric  of  life  upon  what  has  seemed  steadfast  rock,  and  felt  it 
crumble  like  sand  beneath  the  foot,  can  never  counsel  rash  or 
daring  measures,  but  will  rather  urge  the  claims  of  prudence 
and  duty.  No,  no  !  Do  nothing  rash,  Xaver,  nothing  that  can 
cause  yourself  or  this  dear  child  a  future  pang  of  remorse. 
Promise  me  this !" 

"  Katrine  does  not,  cannot  understand  you,  mother,"  he 
said,  half  in  reproof ;  "  do  not  disquiet  her  unnecessarily." 

"  You  are  right,"  she  said,  controlling  herself.  "  You  can 
neither  of  you  understand  or  know  what  wretchedness  I  pre- 
pared for  myself  by  ruthlessly  following  where  passion  led. 
I  will  not  sadden  your  hearts  with  my  woes,  my  children.  I 
will  not  say  a  word  to  shake  your  firm  faith  in  each  other ; 
but  the  chosen  of  my  son  shall  know  that  his  mother  feels  as 

she  does.  If  my  mother  had  been  living,  perhaps "  She 

did  not  finish  the  sentence,  but  turned  to  Katrine  and  kissed 
her  forehead.  "  Enough,  enough  !"  she  said,  checking  her- 
self; "  every  trial  repeats  itself  in  this  world ;  and  yet  the  re- 
verse is  true  also,  that  the  same  experience  never  occurs 
twice."  Then,  extending  her  hand  across  the  table  to  her  son, 
she  said,  "  You  are  honest  and  true,  Xaver.  He  is  the  best 
son  in  the  world,  dear  Katharina,  the  very  best.  And  a  good 
son  will  be  a  good  husband.  I  can  testify  to  his  noble 
nature " 

"  Mother  !  mother  !"  he  interrupted  her  eulogium. 

"  Your  mother,  my  son,"  she  went  on,  "  has  a  right  to  speak 
thus,  and  your  love  may  listen.  It  is  only  because  they  do 
not  know  you  that  the  Ambergers  do  not  receive  you  with 
open  arms.  The  time  will  come  when  they  will  be  proud  to 
count  you  among  them,  and  Katrine  will  be  envied " 

"  Dearest  mother,  indeed  this  is  more  than  enough,"  he  in- 
terrupted again,  with  a  laugh.  "  In  a  few  moments  more  you 


176  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

will  have  them  all  at  my  feet  begging  my  pardon  for  not 
appreciating  me.  No,  no,  that  is  the  least  of  our  troubles. 
There  are  great  material  interests  in  the  way  of  our  happiness, 
and  my  chief  care  must  be  to  remove  these  obstacles,  if  pos- 
sible. If  I  succeed  here,  they  will  all  find  me  quite  charm- 
ing,— although  Frau  Barbara  Amberger  will  hardly  emulate 
my  dear  mother's  enthusiasm." 

The  beautiful  woman  nodded  gently  in  assent.  The  dark 
fire  in  her  eyes  glowed  still,  but  more  calmly.  Katrine  looked 
at  her  in  admiration,  and  whispered,  "  Give  me  a  little  of  the 
love  you  bestow  upon  him." 

"  But  what  can  you  do,"  Camilla  asked  her  son,  "  except 
show  them  what  you  are  ?  If  you  wait  until  your  books  and 
lectures  make  a  Croesus  of  you,  Katharina's  heart  may  well 
be  sick  with  hope  deferred." 

"  I  will  try  to  influence  them  in  another  way,"  he  replied. 
"  I  have  lately  discovered  several  clues  that  may.  if  followed 
out,  lead  to  very  unexpected  results.  In  science  we  often 
thus  accidentally  come  upon  something  which  signifies  little 
in  itself,  but,  in  connection  with  other  facts,  reveals  some  im- 
portant truth." 

"  Do  not  speak  in  riddles,"  said  his  mother. 

"  I  must  for  the  present,"  he  answered,  "  for  I  am  not  yet 
clear  in  my  own  mind.  But  I  rely  upon  my  dear  mother's 
support." 

"What?  Upon  my  support  ?"  she  asked,  surprised.  "Am 
I  to  go  upon  the  stage  again  to  make  a  fortune  for  you  ?  My 
voice  might  still  find  favour,  it  is  true,  but  what  am  I  to  do 
with  this  old  face  of  mine?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  said.  "  When  I  think  of  all  I  have  cost  you, 
I  see  what  wonders  you  have  already  accomplished.  We  will 
consult  together  some  other  time  upon  this  matter.  The  prin- 
cipal point  to  be  discussed  at  present  is  how  to  arrange  a  cor- 
respondence between  Katrine  and  myself  when  we  are  apart 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  177 

from  each  other.  I  think  even  my  stern  and  strict  mamma 
will  admit  that  we  ought  to  be  able  to  establish  a  confidential 
correspondence  between  us." 

"  Yes,  lovers  must  write  to  each  other,"  she  replied,  "  or 
they  pine  in  despair." 

"  I  can  tell  how  it  may  be  safely  arranged,"  Katrine  ob- 
served, glad  of  this  important  concession. 

"  Quick,  quick  !  what  is  it?"  Xaver  said,  kissing  the  little 
hand  he  held  in  his. 

"  Lilli  Wiesel  is  my  devoted  friend.  I  have  told  her  all, 
and  am  sure  I  can  rely  upon  her  silence  and  assistance.  We 
owe  it  to  her  that  I  am  here  now  without  being  missed  from 
her  home.  My  mother  will  think  it  very  natural  that  I  should 
write  to  her  from  time  to  time,  and  I  can  easily  slip  an  en- 
closure to  you  into  my  letters.  She  will  contrive  that  you 
receive  it." 

"  Admirable  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  But  why  from  time  to 
time  only?  It  seems  to  me  it  will  be  very  cold-hearted  to 
refrain  from  a  constant  interchange  of  letters.  And  can  I 
too  rely  upon  her  for  my  messenger?  In  that  case  I  shall 
take  delight  in  still  devoting  a  portion  of  my  time  to  visiting 
at  the  villa.  Lilli  is  a  charming  girl." 

"Have  you  just  found  that  out?"  she  asked.  Of  course 
he  could  not  divine  her  thoughts  as  she  put  the  question. 

The  hour  allowed  Katrine  fled  all  too  swiftly.  She  started 
up  as  she  heard  the  clock  strike  in  the  adjoining  room. 

"  Good  Heavens,  it  is  time  I  were  away  !"  she  cried.  "  I 
must  not  get  Lilli  into  trouble  !  Good-bye  !"  She  embraced 
Camilla,  and  leaned  her  head  for  a  moment  upon  her  breast. 

"  My  dear  good  child,"  Camilla  repeated,  caressingly,  several 
times,  as  she  stroked  her  cheek,  "  I  have  been  very  inhospi- 
table, I'm  afraid.  I  have  given  you  nothing  to  eat,  for  fear 
of  interrupting  you.  The  next  time  when  you  come  to  me 
you  shall  be  better  treated." 
H* 


178  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

11  With  lemonade  and  cake,"  laughed  Xaver. 

"  Quite  enough  to  sustain  you  in  Katrine's  society,"  she 
retorted.  "  And  now,  children,  I  am  going  to  look  put  of  the 
window  for  one  minute, — only  one."  She  turned  away,  and 
walked  towards  the  other  end  of  the  room.  Xaver  threw  his 
arm  around  Katrine's  waist,  drew  her  lithe  figure  towards 
him,  and  pressed  a  first  lingering  kiss  upon  the  lips  that  did 
not  shun  his  own.  "  Mine  forever  !"  he  said,  and  her  happy 
but  tearful  eyes  replied,  "  Amen." 

"  Now,  go,"  said  Frau  Camilla,  turning  towards  them,  and, 
taking  Katrine's  hand,  she  conducted  her  to  the  door.  "  Stay 
where  you  are,"  she  said  to  the  Professor,  who  would  have 
followed  them.  "  You  ought  to  be  satisfied." 

He  patiently  obeyed. 

The  same  evening  an  important  event  occurred  at  the  villa. 
Mr.  Fairfax  presented  himself  with  Lilli  upon  his  arm,  be- 
fore her  father  and  mother,  and  implored  their  blessing. 
"Are  you  surprised  at  my  betrothal?"  Lilli  whispered  in 
Katrine's  ear  as  they  separated  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

IT  cost  Frau  Barbara  Amberger  a  very  considerable  effort 
to  resolve  upon  this  journey.  And  yet  to  resolve  was  not, 
after  all,  the  difficult  part,  for  her  ideas  of  maternal  duty  left 
her  no  choice  in  the  matter,  but,  with  her  domestic  habits,  it 
was  hard  to  leave  her  home.  At  first  she  thought  of  snatching 
Katrine  away  from  Berlin,  if  possible,  before  the  Professor 
could  contrive  to  see  her  again  ;  but  so  hasty  a  departure 
from  home  was  hardly  possible ;  the  letter  announcing  her  in- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  179 

tention  was  dispatched,  and  then  several  more  days  were  spent 
in  preparations  for  the  journey. 

She  discussed  the  subject  with  Moritz,  whom  she  found  in 
a  very  strange  and  cross  humour  about  it.  He  sneered  quite 
offensively  at  all  her  objections  to  the  marriage,  and  spoke 
of  the  Professor  as  if  no  more  desirable  son-in-law  could  be 
imagined,  and  yet  he  went  on  to  say  that  the  thing  was  im- 
possible, not  to  be  thought  of,  and  that  he  had  prevented  any 
renewal  of  the  suit,  without  stating  why  he  disapproved  of 
the  suitor.  Naturally  enough.  He  knew  he  should  have  to 
encounter  from  his  mother  objections  to  his  own  plans.  The 
time  was  not  ripe  for  their  disclosure.  But  this  was  not  all 
that  made  him  irritable  and  sulky.  His  tete-d-tete  with 
Schb'nrade  had  produced  an  effect  that  he  could  not  away 
with.  The  truth  had  been  told  him  for  once,  and  that  not  by 
a  man  upon  whom  he  could  look  down,  but  by  one  whom  he 
was  obliged  to  respect  as  his  superior, — and,  what  was  worse, 
who  was  in  the  right.  The  Professor  was  right.  Disguise  it 
as  he  might,  he  was  playing  a  base  part  towards  his  only  sister, 
for  whom  he  had  a  genuine  fraternal  affection,  and  he  was 
wronging  himself,  even  while  acting  only  from  self-interest. 

He  had  tried  his  best  to  shut  his  eyes  as  long  as  he  could 
to  all  that  was  humiliating  to  himself  in  his  connection  with 
the  Feinbergs ;  he  could  do  so  no  longer,  since  it  had  been 
immediately  manifest  to  an  entire  stranger.  Ignaz  Feinberg 
treated  him  like  a  child,  used  him,  and  tossed  him  asMe ; 
Otto  Feinberg  was  a  coarse  fellow,  who  stooped  to  transactions 
in  business  that  even  his  brother  would  scarcely  undertake ; 
and  Sidonie  did  not  think  it  in  the  least  worth  her  while  to 
consider  his  claims  upon  her  when  it  suited  her  to  ignore 
them ;  she  endured  him  only  so  long  as  he  made  no  assertion 
of  his  rights.  He  laged  inwardly  as  he  plainly  admitted  all 
this  to  himself.  He  had  serious  thoughts  of  calling  "  these 
insolent  upstarts"  to  a  reckoning,  of  demanding  that  Ignaz 


180  THE   GREEN  GATE, 

Feinberg  should  balance  certain  accounts  between  them,  and 
of  taking  Sidonie  to  task  for  her  treatment  of  him ;  but  any 
step  in  this  direction  was  sure  to  turn  out  a  disastrous  one 
for  him,  and  he  persisted  in  the  inaction  for  which  he  despised 
himself,  until  his  life  grew  almost  unendurable. 

And  to  crown  all,  there  came  a  letter  from  Philip, -that  was 
by  no  means  welcome  in  the  present  state  of  affairs.  Philip, 
who  was  wont  to  be  the  most  economical  of  men,  suddenly  de- 
clared himself  in  want  of  considerable  sums  of  money.  He 
talked  of  purchases  and  orders  to  the  amount  of  thousands, 
of  removing  and  sending  to  Germany  the  entire  wainscoting 
of  a  room  in  Florence,  and  more  nonsense  of  the  same  kind. 
Philip  doubtless  supposed  himself  fully  justified  in  his  de- 
mands, but  Moritz  had  disposed  of  all  the  available  means 
of  the  firm,  and  could  not  raise  the  sum  he  asked  for  with- 
out drawing  upon  Feinberg.  Of  course  his  draft  would  be 
honoured,  but  it  was  wretched  to  place  himself  under  such  an 
obligation.  He  had  never  felt  so  utterly  weak  and  dependent. 

A  few  days  after  the  Professor's  departure,  Madame  Fein- 
berg surprised  him  by  the  intelligence  that  she  was  going  with 
her  daughter  to  Berlin  to  pass  some  time  there.  In  summer  ? 
— it  seemed  strange.  A  visit  to  some  watering-place  might 
be  desirable,  but  to  go  voluntarily  in  warm  weather  to  a  large 
city, — he  begged  to  know  their  reasons  for  the  plan.  "  I  like 
what  is  odd,"  Sidonie  replied,  with  a  shrug.  "  Any  fool  can 
find  amusement  in  Berlin  in  autumn  or  winter, — I  want  to 
see  how  a  large  city  looks  when  no  one  is  at  home.  I  like 
to  play  the  country-girl  come  to  town  to  see  the  sights,  to 
visit  museums  and  galleries,  catalogue  in  hand,  to  stare  at  the 
strange  beasts  in  the  aquarium  and  zoological  gardens,  and 
to  give  the  droschky-drivers  something  to  do.  Why  should 
I  not?  Often  as  I  have  been  to  Berlin,  I  have  seen  very 
little  of  it." 

Moritz  thought  any  further  discussion  entirely  superfluous. 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  181 

His  private  opinion  could  not  be  publicly  expressed ;  but  he 
would  have  given  a  deal  to  be  able  quietly  to  remark  that  Pro- 
fessor Schonrade  was  privately  betrothed  to  his  sister  Katrine. 
To  see  the  face  with  which  this  intelligence  would  be  received 
would  have  indemnified  him  for  all  he  had  suffered.  What 
a  trump  card  it  would  have  been !  He  thought  of  Katrine, 
and  swallowed  his  vexation. 

Madame  Amberger  could  hardly  believe  her  eyes  when, 
upon  driving  to  the  railroad-depot  from  her  home,  she  found 
the  Feiubergs,  mother  and  daughter,  already  descended  from 
their  coupe  and  about  to  enter  a  railway-carriage.  She  had 
not  neglected  to  pay  them  a  farewell  visit,  but  had  received  no 
intimation  of  this  project  of  theirs. 

"  A  sudden  resolve,  my  dear,"  Madame  Feinberg  explained. 
"  You  know  Sidonie  hates  long  preparations." 

"  Quite  a  surprise  for  Moritz,"  said  Frau  Barbara,  rather 
tartly. 

"  Oh,  he  knows  we  are  going,  and  will  not,  I  trust,  allow  us 
to  leave  without  coming  to  bid  us  good-bye.  There  he  is  ! — 
rather  late,  to  be  sure.  He  has  paid  Sidonie  but  scant  atten- 
tion for  some  time,  it  seems  to  me  :  it  is  well  that  he  should 
miss  her  for  awhile.  Will  you  get  in  with  us,  my  dear  ?  we 
have  taken  the  whole  carriage,  so  as  not  to  be  annoyed  by 
intruders  ;  pray " 

"  I  thank  you,  no,"  Frau  Barbara  replied,  coldly.  "  My 
maid  has  arranged  my  place  in  the  next  carriage."  And  she 
bowed  and  passed  on. 

"  We  shall  see  each  other  in  Berlin,"  Frau  Feinberg  called 
after  her,  and  Sidonie  settled  herself  in  her  place  as  Moritz 
came  up. 

He  passed  them  with  a  bow,  and  went  to  see  that  his 
mother's  arrangements  were  completed,  returning  as  the  signal 
for  departure  was  given,  to  exchange  a  few  indifferent  words 
with  his  future  mother-in-law,  as  she  looked  out  of  the  carriage- 

16 


182  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

window.  Sidonie  was  leaning  back  in  a  corner,  selecting  a 
cigarette  from  a  package  of  them  which  she  had  taken  from 
her  travelling-bag.  She  nodded  carelessly  as  Moritz  bade  her 
a  rather  formal  adieu. 

."  Do  not  forget  to  give  my  regards  to  Professor  Schb'nrade," 
he  could  not  help  calling  in  at  the  window  after  the  train  was 
in  motion. 

Thus  it  happened  that  Madame  Amberger  and  Madame 
Feinberg,  with  her  daughter,  paid  their  fii-st  visit  at  the  Coun- 
cillor's villa  upon  the  same  forenoon.  Frau  Wiesel  received 
them  with  all  due  courtesy,  only  lamenting  that  they  could 
not  make  their  home  while  in  Berlin  at  her  house.  To  tell 
the  truth,  the  household  had  been  rather  agitated  by  a  sur- 
prising event — Lilli's  betrothal.  Mr.  Fairfax  was  forthwith 
presented  and  congratulated,  and  Lilli  was  kissed  again. 
Naturally  enough,  the  young  couple  were  the  chief  objects 
of  interest,  and  Katrine  could  retire  to  the  background,  to 
her  great  content. 

She  had  never  liked  Sidonie.  Not  because  of  any  influ- 
ence exerted  upon  her  by  Frau  Barbara,  for  that  good  lady 
felt  it  inconsistent  with  her  maternal  duty  to  give  utterance  to 
any  criticism  of  her  son's  betrothed  ;  but  it  had  required  only 
a  very  short  acquaintance  with  her  future  sister-in-law  to 
convince  Katharina  that  the  greatest  caution  was  necessary 
in  her  intercourse  with  her.  She  had  no  taste  for  Sidonie's 
masculine  airs  and  affectations ;  she  was  disgusted  by  her 
coquetry,  and  she  thought  her  deceitful,  if  not  absolutely 
false-hearted.  It  was  an  entirely  superfluous  precaution  on 
Frau  Barbara's  part  to  remove  her  daughter  from  the  influence 
of  such  an  example ;  there  was  not  the  slightest  sympathy 
between  the  two  girls.  In  the  beginning  of  their  acquaint- 
ance Sidonie  had  affected  a  passionate  attachment  for  Katrine, 
which  had  cooled  almost  instantaneously,  and  she  was  only 
deterred  from  openly  sneering  at  her  by  a  degree  of  haughty 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  183 

dignity  in  Katrine's  bearing.  Since  then  there  had  been  just 
as  much  courtesy  exchanged  between  the  two  astne  fact  that 
they  were  future  sisters-in-law  required,  and  no  more. 

Meeting  now  as  they  did,  beneath  a  strange  roof,  the  inter- 
change of  a  few  remarks  was  unavoidable. 

"  People  are  so  tiresome  when  they  are  just  betrothed,"  said 
Sidonie,  taking  a  seat  by  Katharina's  side.  "  You  must  be 
glad  you  are  to  have  no  more  of  them." 

"  I  like  to  be  alone,"  Katrine  replied,  "  and  therefore  such 
happy  young  people  never  tire  me.  It  is  delightful  to  see 
Lilli  so  happy  and  her  father  and  mother  so  satisfied." 

Sidouie  replied,  "  '  Ah,  might  they  ever  verdant  prove!'  I 
should  thiuk  life  in  England  would  be  very  tiresome." 

"  That  depends  upon  what  one  expects." 

"  What  a  philosopher  you  are  !  Have  you  learned  all  this 
wisdom  in  Berlin  ?" 

"  One  need  hardly  come  so  far  from  home  to  learn  so  much ;" 
and  then,  changing  the  subject,  Katrine  asked,  by  way  of 
something  to  say,  "  Shall  you  make  a  long  stay  here  ?" 

"  Long  enough  to  see  if  I  too  cannot  learn  something  here," 
Sidonie  replied.  "  It  has  seemed  to  me  lately  that  I  know  very 
little  of  a  great  many  things  that  are  worth  knowing.  A  few 
private  lessons  could  do  me  no  harm." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  What  do  I  mean  ?  Why,  just  what  I  say.  A  very  clever 
Professor  dined  with  us  lately, — why,  you  must  know  him :  he 
visits  here, — Professor  Schbnrade." 

Katharina  felt  a  sudden  sinking  of  the  heart ;  she  remem- 
bered the  evening  sail  upon  the  mill-pond,  of  which  Xaver 
had  told  her.  She  flushed,  and  then  grew  pale.  She  could  not 
have  told  why  she  so  detested  to  hear  Sidonie  speak  of  him, 
but  she  would  have  liked  to  get  up  and  run  away,  to  put  an  end 
to  the  conversation. 

Sidonie  observed  her  change  of  colour.     "Oh,"  she  said, 


184  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

"you  seem  to  take  an  interest  in  him;  and  no  wonder:  he  is  the 
most  interesting  man  I  have  ever  met,  and  I  do  not  deny  that 
it  is  partly  on  his  account  that  I  wish  to  spend  some  weeks 
here.  He  condescends  to  initiate  certain  young  ladies  into  the 
mysteries  of  science,  and  he  shall  find  me  an  apt  pupil,  if  he 
will  consent  to  be  my  teacher." 

"  So  far  as  I  know,  he  is  occupied  at  present  in  writing  a 
book ;  at  least,  I  think  he  made  that  an  excuse  the  other  day 
for  not  coming  here  so  often  as  heretofore.  You  must  con- 
side,  Sidonie,  that  any  interruption  of  his  work  at  present 
can  hardly  be  welcome  to  him." 

Sidonie  tapped  her  lightly  on  the  shoulder  with  the  ivory 
head  of  her  parasol.  "  How  careful  you  are  for  the  poor  Pro- 
fessor !  But  I  understand  all  this.  Nothing  is  more  welcome 
to  these  learned  scholars  than  to  be  gently  obliged  to  shut 
up  their  books  and  beguile  their  time  in  ladies'  society.  Oh, 
the  Professor  is  a  man  of  the  world,  however  he  may  con- 
sider it  his  duty  to  knit  his  brows  upon  his  students  in  the 
lecture-room ;  no  one  knows  him  who  has  not  seen  him  at  a 
dinner-party.  I  will  lure  him  from  his  retirement ;  he  must 
dine  with  us,  drive  with  us,  show  us  the  eights  of  Berlin ;  and 
he  shall  have  time  and  opportunity  to  expatiate  upon  the  prop- 
erties of  the  surface  of  the  globe  upon  which  we  saunter,  or 
upon  the  nature  of  the  fixed  stars  that  shine  above  us  on  these 
lovely  summer  nights.  It  will  be  delightful !" 

Sidonie  would  probably  have  said  all  this  even  if  she  had 
known  of  the  pain  she  was  causing ;  but  Katrine  could  not 
at  present  accuse  her  of  malicious  intent.  What  could  have 
occurred  to  justify  her  in  speaking  thus  of  Schb'nrade,  in 
forming  such  expectations  for  the  future  ?  For  a  moment  she 
was  startled  into  wondering  if  Xaver  had  been  dazzled  and 

misled  at  first AVhat  folly !  It  was  impossible.  She 

knew  Sidonie,  and  had  often  been  a  witness  of  her  arts  to 
attract  every  stranger.  Xaver  was  quite  innocent ;  and  yet 


THE   ORE  EN  GATE.  185 

this  much  was  certain :  Sidonie  had  come  to  Berlin 

on  his  account,  and  would  do  all  that  she  could  to  entangle 
him  in  her  net,  whether  she  thought  it  worth  while  to  keep 
him  there  or  not.  The  Professor  would  be  frequently  thrown 
into  her  society,  while  Katrine  herself  must  be  far  from  him, 
travelling  about  with  her  mother,  who  hoped  thus  to  estrange 
him  fiom  her.  Had  she  anything  to  fear  from  Sidonie  ?  She 
could  not  tell.  There  were  those  who  praised  her  beauty, 
admired  her  eccentric  style  of  dress,  thought  her  manners  at- 
tractive and  her  wit  brilliant.  And  Xaver ?  How  had 

he  ever  loved  herself,  if  he  could  find  any  attraction  in  her 
opposite  ?  No,  she  had  nothing  to  fear  from  Sidonie,  although 
she  could  not  feel  quite  easy  in  thinking  of  her. 

Madame  Feinberg  arose  to  take  her  leave.  Sidonie  was 
quite  ready  to  accompany  her :  Katrine  was  not  entertaining ; 
her  thoughts  were  evidently  elsewhere.  Frau  Wiesel  begged 
them  to  repeat  their  visit  often,  and,  before  they  had  reached 
the  garden-gate,  made  various  critical  remarks  with  regard  to 
them,  which  were  not  at  all  interrupted  by  the  gracious  nod 
she  gave  them  as  they  drove  off.  "  Frau  Feinberg  would  be 
a  dear  creature,"  she  said,  "  if  she  only  had  a  little  more  cul- 
ture. She  is  a  good  soul,  but  very  weak  where  her  daughter  is 
concerned.  I  suppose  Sidonie  rules  the  whole  household  at 
home, — everything  she  says  is  regarded  as  oracular.  What  a 
pity  it  is  to  spoil  a  child  so !  She  is  not  in  the  least  like  a 
young  girl,  but  really  conducts  herself  like  a  woman  of  the 
world.  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  see  Lilli  dressed  so,  either, — 
all  to  produce  a  startling  effect.  It  is  well  they  are  so  rich,  or 
her  husband  would  have  a  hard  time  of  it." 

Frau  Barbara  Amberger  could  have  subscribed  to  every  word 
of  this,  but  she  replied  only  by  a  half-smothered  sigh  and  a 
troubled  face.  The  Councillor's  wife  understood  these  mute 
signs,  and  began  to  trumpet  forth  Katharina's  praises.  "  The 
dear,  good,  modest,  unaffected,  sweet-tempered  child  had  stolen 

16* 


186  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

her  heart,  and  as  for  Lilli,  she  doted  on  her.  She  could  not 
bear  the  idea  of  losing  her  so  soon." 

Frau  Barbara  might  perhaps  have  enjoyed  this  culogium 
more  thoroughly  if  she  had  not  been  aware  of  the  fact,  of 
which  Frau  Wiesel  was  fortunately  profoundly  ignorant,  that 
the  "  dear,  good,  modest  child"  was  at  present  entangled 
in  a  love-affair,  and  deserved  a  severe  reproof,  which  her 
mother  was  prepared  to  administer  as  soon  as  she  could  see 
her  alone.  She  wished  to  take  her  back  with  her  to  the  hotel 
and  leave  Berlin  that  very  afternoon,  but  this  the  Councillor's 
wife  would  not  hear  of.  So  sudden  a  departure  would  really 
offend  her.  Lilli's  betrothal  was  to  be  celebrated  the  next  day, 
or  the  day  following  that,  by  as  large  an  assemblage  of  friends 
as  could  be  gathered  together  at  so  unpropitious  a  season, 
and  the  entire  evening  would  be  spoiled  for  the  dear  child  if 
Katrine,  her  best  friend,  her  confidante  in  the  whole  affair, 
were  absent.  Lilli  added  her  entreaties,  and  Mr.  Fairfax  prof- 
fered the  same  request  for  Friiulein  Katharina's  presence  on 
the  happy  occasion.  Frau  Amberger  was  prevailed  upon  to 
consent  in  spite  of  herself,  and  to  permit  Katrine  to  continue 
in  her  present  abode  until  their  departure.  Of  course  luvr 
mother  must  consider  the  villa  as  her  real  home  in  Berlin,  and 
only  the  nights  were  to  be  passed  at  the  hotel.  "  I  hope  to 
persuade  my  husband,"  Frau  Wiesel  concluded,  "  to  take  me 
to  Wiesbaden  after  the  betrothal  celebration,  for  the  sake  of 
my  health,  which  has  been  very  poor  lately.  Why  not  go  with 
us,  my  dear  Frau  Amberger,  and  take  a  course  of  the  waters 
to  prepare  yourself  for  your  journey — to  Italy,  I  suppose  ? 
We  have  hired  an  entire  house  there,  and  I  shall  be  delighted 
to  let  you  have  some  rooms  in  it."  Frau  Barbara  thanked 
her  kindly,  but  could  not  so  prolong  her  absence  from  home. 

Katrine  was  by  no  means  pleased  with  the  prospect  of  this 
trip  to  Wiesbaden.  What  was  to  become  of  her  fine  plan 
for  carrying  on  a  correspondence  with  Xaver  through  Lilli  ? 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  187 

Perhaps  he  would  not  even  be  reminded  of  her  by  a  letter, 
while  Sidonie  would  see  and  speak  with  him  every  day.  She 
was  sad  and  down-hearted,  and  would  gladly  have  avoided  all 
gayety. 

The  day  after  his  interview  with  Katrine,  Professor  Schb'n- 
rade  paid  his  mother  another  visit,  and  found  her  most  cheer- 
fully disposed.  She  had  been  very  favourably  impressed  by 
Katrine's  grace  and  loveliness,  and  her  first  words  after  her 
kiss  of  welcome  were,  "  I  cannot  believe.  Xaver,  that  Madame 
Amberger  will  withhold  her  consent  long,  after  she  sees  how 
truly  Katrine's  heart  is  your  own." 

"  In  fact,  she  is  only  acting  like  a  prudent  mother,"  he  re- 
plied. "  She  does  not  know  me  as  you  know  me,  and  may 
well  doubt  whether  Katrine  has  sufficiently  weighed  all  that 
in  her  estimation  are  very  important  considerations.  If  that 
were  all,  we  could  look  forward  with  confidence  to  the  future  ; 
time  would  smooth  away  all  difficulties.  Unfortunately,  how- 
ever, there  are  deep-rooted  prejudices  to  be  overcome,  which 
we,  indeed,  from  our  point  of  view,  may  regard  lightly,  but 
which,  nevertheless,  are  insurmountable  obstacles  in  my  path. 
The  Ambergers  are  an  old  patrician  family,  and  Frau  Barbara 
is  proud  of  her  name." 

"  I  think  Bellarota  is  hardly  inferior  to  it  in  antiquity," 
Camilla  observed,  rearing  her  head  haughtily. 

"  It  may  be,"  he  replied,  with  a  shrug;  "  but  you  know  we 
have  no  means  of  proving  that  to  the  world." 

"  It  is  the  truth  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  My  father  was  incapa- 
ble of  falsehood,  and  he  frequently  referred  to  the  antiquity 
and  nobility  of  his  name.  You  show  but  scant  respect  for 
your  grandfather  if  you  do  not  believe  his  word." 

"  My  belief  in  the  matter  is  of  very  little  consequence,''  he 
replied,  calmly.  "  And  you  must  certainly  admit  also  that  it 
is  hardly  an  agreeable  thing  for  me  to  be  obliged  to  refer  to 
my  mother's  ancestors  for  my  name " 


188  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Her  face  grew  dark.  "  You  have  every  right  to  bear  your 
father's  name,''  she  said,  "  and  a  name  that  would  abundantly 
satisfy  Frau  Barbara  Amberger.  But  I  cannot  bear  it, — I 
cannot." 

He  did  not  answer  immediately,  but  left  her  time  to  become 
familiarized  with  the  thought  that  there  must  no  longer  be 
any  secret  between  them.  Then,  taking  her  hand  in  his,  and 
stroking  it  as  if  to  beg  her  to  be  calm,  he  said,  "  Mother  dear, 

I  have  always  respected  your  desire  that  I  should  ask  you 
nothing  concerning  your  marriage  and  my  birth.     Chance  has 
lately  revealed  to  me  all  that  I  ought  to  know.     I  only  need 
that  you  should  simply  admit  certain  facts " 

"  Chance — chance  ?"  she  interrupted  him,  hurriedly.  Her 
brow  was  moist  from  nervous  agitation. 

He  told  her  of  his  walk  to  the  Honeburg,  and  of  all  that 
he  had  learned  there, — confining  himself  to  a  bare  state- 
ment of  the  facts  as  he  had  gathered  them.  "  Was  it  all  so, 
mother?"  he  asked. 

"  It  was  all  as  you  have  said,"  she  replied,  in  a  firm  tone. 

II  And  the  judgment  you  passed  upon  it,  Xaver  ?" 

"  Do  not  ask  me  for  it,  mother." 

"  But  I  do  ask  you.  Was  I  right,  or  did  I  rob  you  when 
I  deprived  you  of  a  name  which  brought  me  only  pain  and 
remorse  ?  No,  my  son,  I  obeyed  the  dictates  of  a  mother's  love. 
You  were  all  that  was  left  to  me,  and  I  could  not  be  to  you 
what  I  ought  and  wished  to  be  if  you  daily  and  hourly  re- 
minded me  of  the  traitor  who " 

"  Mother,"  he  gravely  interrupted  her,  "  remember  you  are 
speaking  of  my  father  !" 

"  Oh,  I  loved  him !"  she  exclaimed,  and  her  eyes  flashed 
fire.  "  I  loved  him  as  only  a  woman  can  love,  and  he  be- 
trayed me.  I  have  a  right  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  him,  and 
to  condemn  him." 

"  I  know  how  you  have  suffered,"  he  said,  soothingly,  "  and 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  189 

I  will  do  no  violence  to  your  feelings,  mother.  I  will  not  try 
to  excuse  my  father  to  you,  for  he  offended  you  bitterly, 
wounded  you  to  the  very  heart ;  but  do  not  forget " 

"  From  those  letters,  which  should  have  been  destroyed," 
she  interrupted  him,  passionately,  "  you  learned  much  of  my 
misery ;  but  they  could  not  tell  you  all.  You  know  that  we 
were  happy,  and  that  he  threw  away  that  happiness  when  it 
excluded  him  from  the  hope  of  securing  to  his  name  the  pos- 
session of  a  newly-inherited  estate ;  but  you  do  not  know  all 
that  I  had  gone  through  to  secure  this  happiness,  which  I 
fondly  dreamed  was  for  eternity, — how  I  had  destroyed,  anni- 
hilated the  hopes  of  others  to  pave  the  way No,  no ! 

enough  of  that!  I  will  not  make  you  your  mother's  accuser, 
my  son,  and  I  have  atoned  for  the  wrong  I  inflicted.  Oh, 
God  !  I  have  atoned  for  it !" 

Xaver  placed  himself  beside  her,  and  put  his  arm  around 
her.  "  Is  it  s<j  hard  to  forgive,  then  ?"  he  asked,  gently. 
"  Must  what  has  once  been  dear  be  so  hated  ?  Must  /  hate 
what  has  never  even  been  dear  to  me, — what  until  a  few  days 
ago  did  not  even  interest  me  ?  Do  not  require  what  is  un- 
natural of  me,  mother  dear;  remember  that  I  cannot  share 
your  emotions  if  I  should  encounter  the  man  who  is  my  father, 
whose  errors  it  is  not  my  part  to  condemn,  and  upon  whom 
you  revenged  yourself  by  depriving  him  of  the  child  whom,  if 
his  letters  did  not  lie,  he  loved  tenderly.  Witness  the  deed 
that  gave  me  all  the  property  over  which  he  then  possessed 
any  right  of  disposal." 

The  proud  woman's  eyes  were  bent  upon  him  with  an  ex- 
pression of  bitter  pain.  "  You  are  not  thinking,  Xaver,"  she 
said,  in  a  voice  that  she  controlled  with  difficulty,  "  of  seeking 
out  that  man, — your  father  ?" 

He  felt  his  hand  tremble  and  his  heart  throb  as  in  the 
presence  of  some  imminent  peril.  He  knew  that  it  would 
afford  intense  delight  to  the  mother  whom  he  fondly  loved  if 


190  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

he  could  only  throw  himself  into  her  arms  and  declare,  "  No, 
no  !  I  will  never  know  him,  never  utter  his  name  again."  But 
he  could  not  allow  himself  to  be  so  enthralled  to  her  hate  as 
to  be  untrue  to  himself  in  pity  for  her  suffering,  and  play  the 
part  her  passion  would  have  assigned  him.  He  must  not 
admit  feeling  to  any  voice  in  this  matter, — he  must  see  only  its 
practical  side.  "  The  reasons  are  obvious  why  I  must  certainly 
think  of  presenting  myself  to  Count  Gleichenau,"  he  said, 
with  composure,  "  since  I  need  his  confirmation  of  my  right 
to  the  arms  of  the  Von  Honeburgs,  and  to  all  that  remains  of 
their  estates.  What  use  I  may  make  of  them  I  cannot  say, 
but  you  can  certainly  see  clearly,  mother,  that  in  my  present 
position  they  are  of  great  value  to  me.  Frau  Barbara  Amberger 
will  not  reject  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg  as  a  suitor  for  her 
daughter's  hand." 

Camilla  reclined  wearily  upon  the  couch.  "  You  will  sac- 
rifice your  mother's  honour,"  she  said,  gloomily.  It  did  not 
sound  like  a  reproach,  but  like  a  wail, — she  saw  that  furthei 
opposition  on  her  part  would  be  fruitless. 

The  Professor  arose,  and  paced  to  and  fro  in  the  room, 
pausing  from  time  to  time,  and  then  continuing  his  walk.  He 
suffered  much  in  thus  giving  his  mother  pain ;  he  had  taken 
counsel  a  thousand  times  with  himself,  before  coming  to  her, 
to  try  to  avoid  it,  but  it  had  always  seemed  to  him  that  this 
frank,  open  course  was  the  only  one  to  pursue.  Now  she  knew 
what  he  intended,  and  could  assume  what  attitude  seemed 
best  to  her  with  this  knowledge.  He  had  not  hoped  that  she 
would  approve  his  intention,  but,  even  although  she  did  all 
that  in  her  lay  to  deter  him  from  fulfilling  it,  he  could  do 
more  calmly  and  easily  what  he  felt  to  be  right  than  if  from  a 
desire  to  spare  her  feelings  he  had  acted  in  an  underhand 
manner  and  kept  her  in  the  dark  as  to  his  line  of  conduct.  He 
was  relieved  to  know  this,  and,  approaching  her  again,  he  leaned 
over  her,  and  said,  tenderly,  "  We  know  each  other,  mother 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  191 

dear !  You  have  confidence  enough  in  me  to  be  sure  that  I 
could  never  have  the  heart  to  take  any  action  or  to  concede 
anything  that  could  offend  your  keen  sense  of  honour.  I  can 
promise  more.  I  will  do  nothing  that  can  prevent  you  from 
pursuing  your  own  path  as  proudly  as  ever.  I  will  speak  and 
act  for  myself  alone,  and  my  own  pride,  which  is  of  a  different 
nature,  will  never  allow  me  to  resign  my  position  as  a  man  who 
owes  all  that  he  is  to  you." 

She  sighed,  and  turned  upon  him  a  face  that,  for  the  first 
time,  looked  to  him  as  old  as  her  years  would  make  it.  He 
had  always  rejoiced  that  she  never  seemed  to  grow  old,  and 
this  change  terrified  him.  She  held  out  her  hand,  and  said, 
wearily,  "  It  is  not  easy  to  see  all  our  hopes  fade,  when  each 
hope  was  born  of  agony.  My  pride  is  broken.  Before  my 
son  I  am  a  weak  woman,  who  hardly  dares  beseech  indul- 
gence. Follow  the  dictates  of  your  heart, — I — forgive  you." 

He  kissed  again  and  again  the  hand  that  lay  so  languid  and 
cold  in  his  own.  Camilla  arose, — she  evidently  wished  to  be 
alone  to  go  through  the  struggle  with  herself,  that  could  no 
longer  be  postponed.  He  understood  her  mutely-expressed 
desire,  and  took  his  leave. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

IN  his  own  home  he  found  upon  his  writing-table  two  deli- 
cate little  notes.  The  first  was  an  invitation  from  Councillor 
and  Madame  Wiesel  to  their  daughter's  betrothal  festivity. 
Would  Katrine  be  there?  It  would  be  easier  to  speak  with 
her  unobserved  in  a  large  assemblage  than  in  the  home-circle. 
This  invitation  pleased  him. 


192  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

The  address  of  the  other,  a  pink  billet-doux,  was  in  an  un- 
known handwriting, — apparently  a  woman's.  Still  occupied 
with  thoughts  of  Katrine,  he  opened  it  without  curiosity. 
Instead  of  a  sheet  of  paper  it  contained  merely  a  visiting-card. 
Madame  Feinberg  had  the  honour  to  inform  him  in  pencil, 
beneath  her  engraved  name,  that  she,  with  her  daughter,  wa3 
at  present  in  Berlin,  and  looked  forward  to  his  society  in  see- 
ing all  that  was  worth  visiting  there.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
card  another  hand  had  inscribed,  "  We  are  longing  to  see  Pro- 
fessor Schb'nrade.  Pray  come  soon,  and  have  a  great  deal  of 
time  for  us.  S." 

He  looked  at  the  card  with  a  smile, — a  smile  not  of  self- 
satisfaction,  but  of  satirical  humour.  He  felt  sure  that 
Sidonie  was  here  on  his  account,  but  his  vanity  was  not  at 
all  gratified :  he  was  annoyed,  feeling  that  he  was  likely  to  be 
hampered  by  the  attentions  that  would  be  expected  of  him. 
He  was  not  at  all  what  is  called  a  "  society  man,"  but  was  apt 
rather  to  neglect  social  duties,  to  leave  visits  unpaid,  and  letters 
and  notes  unanswered.  He  longed  now  to  plead  his  multifarious 
occupations  to  excuse  him  from  playing  cicerone  to  the  ladies. 
But  he  had  accepted  hospitality  from  them,  he  was  sure  to 
meet  them  at  Fraulein  Lilli's  betrothal  festivity,  and  it  was 
better  to  do  all  that  the  conventional  rules  of  courtesy  de- 
manded. He  would  surely  be  able  to  confine  his  duties 
within  strictly  formal  bounds. 

He  did  not  go  the  same  day.  The  next  was  the  one  pre- 
ceding that  of  the  festivity  at  the  villa,  and  he  presented  him- 
self at  the  hotel  just  after  the  dinner-hour, — the  time  of  day 
which  was  most  at  his  own  disposal.  The  ladies  had  just 
retired  to  their  sitting-room  from  the  table-d'hote,  and  had 
ordered  coffee.  The  Professor  made  his  appearance,  preceded 
by  the  waiter  carrying  a  tray. 

"  Oh,  here  you  are  at  last,  my  dear  Herr  Professor  !"  Ma- 
dame Feinberg  called  to  him  from  the  sofa  where  she  was 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  193 

lounging.  "  Waiter,  another  cup  for  Professor  Schb'nrade. 
You  will  take  coffee  with  us?  We  expected  you  at  dinner, 
and  had  the  seat  next  us  reserved  for  you.  But  I  am  afraid 
you  are  so  spoiled  in  this  huge  city  that  our  society  presents 
small  attractions." 

Sidonie  sat  at  the  window,  looking  out  into  the  street.  On 
a  chair  beside  her,  and  upon  the  floor,  were  a  multitude  of 
boxes  filled  with  laces,  feathers,  and  flowers,  which  had  appar- 
ently just  been  purchased.  She  turned  her  head  after  the 
waiter  had  left  the  room,  and  with  a  supercilious  air  said,  half 
in  jest,  half  scornfully,  "  For  Heaven's  sake  don't  believe  a 
word  mamma  says !  We  no  more  thought  of  you  than  did 
the  chair  beside  us,  which  remained  unoccupied  because  no 
one  ventured  to  approach  us,  except  a  Russian  Jew,  whom 
we  frightened  away  by  saying  the  seat  was  reserved." 

"  Your  cruel  explanation,  Fiilulcin  Feinberg,"  he  replied, 
"  was  entirely  unnecessary  to  convince  me  that  I  was  not 
missed.  I  see  evidences  here  of  the  interesting  nature  of 
your  occupation  before  dinner." 

She  pushed  the  boxes  off  the  chair,  and  thrust  them  all 
into  a  heap  on  the  floor  with  her  foot.  "  Oh,  do  not  look  at 
this  nonsense !"  she  said,  wTith  a  laugh.  "  Is  it  not  hard 
that  we  girls  are  expected  to  deck  ourselves  out  like  dolls  ? 
and  for  what  ?  To  please  the  big  children  who  parade  in  gay 
uniforms  or  fashionable  black  dress-coats.  Sit  here,  Heir 
Professor;  you  will  be  more  comfortable  than  in  that  creaking 
arm-chair.  Well,  shall  we  see  you  to-morrow  among  the  big 
children  ?'* 

"  If  my  dress-coat  may  be  admitted  into  the  category  you 
allude  to,  after  the  good  service  it  has  done  me,"  he  replied, 
as  he  kissed  the  hand  held  out  to  him  in  welcome.  "  It  has 
already  had  the  honour  of  appearing  before  the  ladies." 

"  You  must  be  very  fond  of  it,  to  take  it  with  you  even 
upon  a  business  trip,"  Sidonie  said,  laughing ;  and  her  mother 
i  17 


194  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

made  several  luminous  remarks  as  to  the  ungraceful  cut  of  tho 
gentlemen's  coats  of  the  present  day,  animadverting  upon  the 
taste  of  their  inventor. 

Sidonie  interrupted  her  by  calling  the  Professor  to  account 
for  not  paying  his  respects  to  them  earlier. 

"  I  aiu  so  very  much  occupied,  Friiulein  Feinberg "  he 

began. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  listen  to  that !"  she  said,  breaking  in  upon  his 
explanation.  "As  long  as  we  are  here,  you  must  not  think  of 
your  work.  Throw  away  your  pen,  and  let  your  ink  dry  up. 
Listen  to  Goethe  :  '  The  lowest  of  the  human  brood  will  teach 
you  you  are  a  man  amongst  your  kind.'  " 

The  Professor  frowned.  "  Mephistopheles  says  that,  Friiu- 
lein Feinberg, — the  cousin  of  the  serpent.  But,  after  all,  the 
lowest  society  is  not  as  dangerous  as  the  best ;  and  the  safest 
for  a  man  of  science  is  his  books." 

This  the  ladies  would  in  no  wise  grant.  They  declared  that 
they  would  be  generous  enough  to  give  him  all  his  forenoons 
for  himself,  but  that  he  must  dine  with  them  every  day,  and 
devote  to  them  the  afternoons  and  evenings.  He  fought  des- 
perately to  retain  his  freedom;  but  their  persistence  so  far 
conquered  him  that  he  was  obliged  to  promise  to  dine  with 
them  that  very  afternoon,  then  to  go  to  a  theatre  where  a  new 
farce  was  performing,  and  to  finish  the  evening  by  a  supper  at 
a  favourite  restaurant  "  unter  den  Linden." 

Half  an  hour  later  all  three  were  seated  in  a  barouche,  driving 
through  the  Brandenburger  Thor.  They  went  to  Charlotten- 
burg,  and  sauntered  about  the  garden  there  for  some  time, 
and  then  drove  directly  across  the  park.  "  Return  through 
Thiergarten  Strasse !"  Sidonie  called  out  to  the  driver. 

Of  course  they  were  obliged  to  pass  by  the  Wiesels'  villa. 
Sidonie  hoped  they  should  be  seen  by  Frau  Wiesel  or  one  of 
the  young  ladies,  and  her  mother  loudly  expressed  her  desire 
to  this  effect.  The  Professor  devoutly  wished  that  the  vehicle 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  195 

might  lose  a  wheel,  but  he  said  nothing.  He  could  not  en- 
dure the  thought  of  being  seen  by  Katrine  in  his  present 
company,  and  hardly  liked  to  look  towards  the  villa  as  they 
approached  it. 

And  yet  it  was  no  other  than  Katrine  upon  whom  the 
ladies  lavished  their  most  gracious  nods  and  smiles.  Schbnrade 
took  off  his  hat  with  as  piteous  an  expression  as  his  features 
could  command.  Was  she  expecting  him  in  spite  of  the  next 
day's  festivity  ?  What  would  she  think  of  his  spending  his 
time  in  iriving  out  with  these  strangers  ?  It  was  excessively 
annoying. 

"  Katharina  is  a  dear  girl,"  Madame  Feinberg  remarked,  as 
they  passed  the  pavilion  ;  "  I  think  her  the  most  agreeable  of 
the  family." 

"  Yes,"  said  Sidonie,  carelessly,  "  very  pleasant, — a  trifle 
commonplace." 

u  A  little  affected,  'tis  true,"  her  mother  added;  "don't  you 
think  so,  Ilerr  Professor  ?" 

This  was  almost  too  much.  He  raged  inwardly.  "  I  am 
a  great  lover  of  simplicity,  niadame,  and  therefore  Fraulein 
Amberger  seems  to  me  a  very  charming  young  person." 

"  She  is!  she  is  !"  both  ladies  said,  in  a  breath. 

"People  are  not  all  alike,"  Sidonie  added. 

The  farce  and  the  supper  fortunately  came  to  an  end, — 
the  Professor  insisting  that  both  should  be  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, in  hopes  that  the  ladies  might  be  unwilling  to  renew 
their  obligations  to  him. 

Madame  Feinberg  declared  that  now  he  could  not  refuse  to 
dine  with  them  at  their  hotel  the  next  day.  On  the  contrary, 
lie  proposer"  to  conduct  them  to  a  really  remarkable  restaurant, 
where  he  hoped  they  would  be  his  guests. 

"  And  if  we  consent  this  time  also,"  Sidonie  said,  triumph- 
antly, "  you  cannot  possibly  refuse  to  come  with  us  afterwards. 
We  will  accept,  mamma." 


196  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  But,  my  child " 

"  Good  heavens  !  we  will  take  our  revenge  afterwards.  So 
take  care,  Herr  Professor  !" 

Thus  it  was  settled.  As  he  accompanied  the  ladies  to  their 
hotel,  Schonrade  wondered  where  he  should  find  the  "  remark- 
able restaurant"  to  which  he  was  to  conduct  them. 

It  was  discovered,  however,  the  next  day,  "  unter  den  Lin- 
den," and  every  preparation  was  made  for  a  Lucullan  banquet. 

As  they  were  entering  the  place,  they  accidentally  encoun- 
tered an  old  school-fellow  of  the  Professor's,  with  whom  he  had 
never  1  eer.  intimate,  but  whom  he  was  in  the  habit  of  seeing 
from  time  to  time.  Ernst  von  Fuchs  had  been  in  the  army, 
but  his  debts  had  obliged  him  to  leave  it,  and  for  some  time 
he  had  been  living  principally  upon  his  title  of  captain  and  his 
social  accomplishments.  Although  he  had  run  through  his 
property,  and  had  no  visible  source  of  revenue,  he  lived  like  a 
lord,  dressed  like  an  exquisite,  was  intimate  at  the  best  houses 
in  Berlin,  kept  a  riding-horse,  and  gave  out  that  he  was  studying 
for  the  post  of  engineer  in  a  large  manufacturing  interest.  He 
certainly  was  a  man  of  intelligence,  and  had  been  a  constant 
hearer  in  the  Professor's  lecture-room  during  the  previous 
winter.  Schonrade  could  not  avoid  presenting  him  to  the 
ladies. 

As  he  was  conducting  them  to  the  private  table  provided 
for  them,  a  fiendish  idea  occurred  to  him.  Why  not  invite  this 
entertaining  "  man  about  town"  to  join  them,  and  so  provide 
a  door  of  escape  for  himself?  Ernst  von  Fuchs  was  the  very 
man  to  captivate  them  by  his  manners  and  conversation.  On 
the  instant  he  asked  the  ladies  whether  they  would  permit  him 
to  add  his  friend  to  their  little  company, — a  proposition  that 
met  with  a  ready  assent. 

He  then  returned  to  his  old  school-fellow,  and  proffered  his 
invitation  in  a  low  tone.  "  Who  are  they  ?"  asked  Herr  von 
Fuchs.  "Oh,  you  may  be  perfectly  easy,"  said  Schunrade; 


THE   ORE  EN  GATE.  197 

"the  elder  is  the  wife,  and  the  younger  the  daughter,  of  a 
millionaire." 

"  The  deuce  they  are !  and  in  Berlin  only  to  amuse  them- 
selves? My  dear  fellow,  I  accept  your  invitation  with  the 
greatest  pleasure."  A  fourth  cover  was  laid,  and  the  lobster- 
soup  was  discussed  amid  a  buzz  of  lively  conversation. 

It  was  a  perfect  success.  Herr  von  Fuchs  rattled  away ;  his 
sm  ill-talk  was  admirable,  and  now  and  then  quite  witty,  and 
he  soon  found  such  favour  with  Sidonie,  always  attracted  by 
novelty,  that  the  Professor  took  but  a  second  place  in  her 
attention.  Before  dinner  was  over,  the  Captain  knew  that 
she  was  an  enthusiastic  horsewoman.  He  proposed  riding  to 
Ruhwald  the  next  day.  "  We  can  ride  beside  your  carriage, 
madame,"  he  said  to  the  mother,  who  could  make  no  objection 
to  this  plan. 

"  Provided  the  Herr  Professor  will  drive  with  me,"  she  said. 

"  Oh,  he  must  ride  with  us,"  Sidonie  declared ;  "  we  will  run 
a  race." 

"  I  have  no  chance  with  the  Captain,"  he  replied,  evasively. 

"  You  know  how  little  time  I  have,"  Schonrade  whispered 
in  his  friend's  ear,  after  they  had  risen  from  table.  "  I  pray 
you  to  take  the  ladies  in  charge  ;  they  are  delightful,  as  you  see." 

"  Of  course,  of  course,  my  dear  fellow,"  the  Captain  replied, 
with  a  chuckle.  "  I  will  call  upon  them  at  their  hotel  to- 
morrow. Heavens  !  what  a  sage  you  are, — never  away  from 
your  books  !  Well,  so  much  the  better  for  me  ;  you  might  be 
in  the  way.  Farewell ;  I  will  attend  them,  and  it  is  your  own 
fault  if  I  supplant  you." 

The  Professor  shook  hands  with  him,  and  helped  the  ladies 
into  their  carriage. 

But  the  evening  at  Councillor  Wiesel's  showed  him  that  he 
was  by  no  means  yet  extricated  from  his  difficulties. 

It  was  a  wretched  evening.  First  he  had  to  undergo  a 
meeting  with  Frau  Amberger,  whose  distant  bow  revealed  no 

17* 


198  .       THE   GREEN  GATE. 

change  in  her  sentiments  as  yet,  and  then  with  Katrine,  to 
whom  he  so  longed  to  say  one  confidential  word,  but  who  could 
not  possibly  escape  her  mother's  Argus  eyes.  She  looked  so 
pale  and  sad  that  it  grieved  him  to  the  very  soul.  And  when 
Madame  Feinberg  and  her  daughter  arrived,  and  had  been 
duly  received,  Sidonie  entirely  ignored  every  one  else,  and 
seemed  determined  to  converse  with  him,  and  him  only. 

She  had  selected  another  role  for  this  evening,  and  tried  its 
effect  upon  him.  An  assemblage  like  the  present  always  made 
her  melancholy.  It  was  so  sad  a  spectacle, — all  these  people, 
gayly  dressed,  met  together  for  the  sake  of  enjoyment,  and 
really  not  knowing  where  to  find  it.  They  stood  until  they 
were  tired,  staring  about  to  find  out  that  there  was  nothing  to 
be  seen  but  what  they  had  seen  hundreds  of  times  already ; 
they  changed  their  places  to  say  the  same  phrases  over  and 
over  again ;  they  could  not  really  converse,  for  fear  of  being 
interrupted ;  they  ate  and  drank  in  the  most  uncomfortable 
attitudes,  or  went  hungry ;  they  were  sleepy  from  fatigue,  and 
had  to  wear  happy  faces ;  all  would  say,  Thank  God !  when 
the  time  came  to  tell  their  hostess  what  a  delightful  evening 
they  had  passed,  and  to  depart ;  yet,  with  all  this  dreary  expe- 
rience, they  would  accept  the  next  invitation.  And  six  or  eight 
of  these  people,  well  selected,  might  have  such  a  delightful 
evening  together,  without  all  this  expense  and  show. 

Schonrade  only  half  listened  to  what  she  was  saying.  "  We 
must  do  as  others  do,"  he  said. 

"  Not  at  all !"  she  exclaimed,  so  loudly  that  it  recalled  him 
to  himself.  She  put  her  hand  upon  his  arm,  and  pointed  to 
two  vacant  chairs.  "  Let  us  at  least,"  she  said,  "  take  the  lib- 
erty of  isolating  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  this  crowd."  He 
could  do  no  less  than  take  one  of  the  chairs,  while  she  seated 
herself  in  the  other.  "  If  ever  I  have  a  house  of  my  own," 
she  continued,  "  I  shall  break  the  fetters  of  this  conventional 
society  and  order  my  life  with  a  view  to  higher  aims."  And 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  199 

she  painted  this  life  so  vividly  that  he  could  not  but  compli- 
ment Tier  upon  the  picture. 

"  If  only  true  friends  can  be  found  to  uphold  your  efforts," 
he  remarked. 

"  Yes,  yes !"  she  exclaimed,  "  but  those  who  can  be  true 
friends  can  find  true  friends.  Have  you  ever  felt  the  want 
of  such  ?" 

He  evaded  the  question,  and  asked  what  she  thought  of 
Ilerr  von  Fuchs.  She  did  not  wish  to  form  too  hasty  a  judg- 
ment, but  he  seemed  quite  endurable.  And  then  she  made 
various  inquiries  concerning  him,  to  which  Schonrade  gave 
prudent  replies.  Sidonie  did  not  let  the  conversation  flag; 
she  seemed  determined  to  retain  him  by  her  side,  while  from 
time  to  time  he  could  see  Katrine's  grave  face  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

Frau  Amberger  in  the  mean  while  was  obliged  to  listen 
to  eulogiums  upon  the  Professor.  Frau  Fcinberg  kept  near 
her,  and  spent  the  time  in  glorifying  him,  and  telling  of  his 
attentions  to  her  daughter.  Really,  "  dear  Moritz"  had  some 
cause  for  jealousy  this  time.  Apparently  she  wished  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  events  that  were  not  impossible.  Frau  Wie- 
sel,  as  soon  as  his  name  was  mentioned,  joined  her  voice  in  his 
praise  to  what  Madame  Feinberg  said,  and  prophesied  a  bril- 
liant future  for  him.  Privy-councillor  Bachstelze,  a  member 
of  the  government  and  a  friend  of  her  husband's,  who  ap- 
proached to  utter  his  congratulations,  spilling  his  wine  on  the 
lady's  silken  train  as  he  did  so,  declared  that  Schonrade  was 
one  of  the  celebrities  of  the  city,  and  an  ornament  to  the  Uni- 
versity. Frau  Barbara  listened  in  silence,  but  by  no  means  in 
indifference,  to  what  was  said. 

She  entertained  her  own  private  opinion  when  Katrine  came 
to  her  a  little  later  in  the  evening,  complained  of  headache, 
and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  retire  to  her  own  room.  Sidonie 
and  the  Professor  had  arisen,  and  were  walking  in  the  garden. 


200  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

"  I  am  afraid  your  absence  will  be  observed,"  Frau  Barbara 
remonstrated. 

"  I  have  told  Lilli,"  the  poor  child  replied,  "  and  she  will 
make  my  excuses,  if  necessary." 

Her  mother  as  she  looked  at  her  could  not  doubt  that  she 
really  felt  ill,  and  let  her  go,  in  hope  that  half  an  hour's  rest 
would  enable  her  to  return  to  the  drawing-room. 

"  If  Sidonie  would  only  keep  the  Professor  forever,"  Frau 
Barbara  mentally  ejaculated,  "  I  should  have  both  my  son  and 
my  daughter  again." 

Xaver  soon  missed  Katrine,  and  his  restless  anxiety  was 
BO  great  that  he  scarcely  returned  intelligible  replies  to  what 
Sidonie  was  saying.  "  You  are  very  preoccupied,  my  dear 
Professor,"  she  said.  "  Where  are  your  thoughts  at  present? 
Evidently  not  with  me." 

''  Oh,  I  am  not  well, — I  am  quite  unwell,"  he  said,  by  way 
of  excuse.  "  I  ought  not  to  have  come  here." 

She  proposed  that  they  should  sit  down  in  an  arbour;  but 
just  then  two  or  three  officers  of  her  acquaintance  came  up 
to  speak  to  her,  and  Schonrade  took  the  opportunity  to  excuse 
himself  and  retire  from  her  side,  leaving  her  to  the  care  of  her 
military  friends. 

He  found  Lilli  among  her  guests  upon  her  lover's  arm.  "  One 
second,  my  dear  Fraulein  Wiesel,"  he  begged,  in  a  low  tone. 

She  said  a  few  whispered  words  to  Mr.  Fairfax,  who  nodded 
and  resigned  her  to  the  Professor. 

"  I  pity  you  from  my  heart,"  she  said. 

"  You  know  all,  Friiulein  Lilli,"  he  rejoined,  going  at  once 
to  the  point.  "  Where  is  Katrine  ?" 

"  In  her  room,  I  believe." 

"  Not  ill  ?     She  looked  so  pale." 

"  Nothing  of  any  consequence  is  the  matter, — at  least,  as  far 
as  I  know  ;  but  in  her  place  I  should  be  pale  too  to  see  you 
spend  the  entire  evening  with  a  lady — 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  201 

"  But,  my  dear  Friiulein  Lilli,  you  must  have  seen,"  he  in- 
terrupted her,  "  that  this  lady  herself Oh,  I  am  vexed 

beyond  endurance !  And  to-morrow  Katrine  will  be  gone, 
with  Heaven  knows  what  thoughts  of  nay  conduct.  If  I 
could  only  speak  to  her  for  two  minutes !" 

Lilli  reflected.  "  Really,  only  two  minutes?  I  am  very  sorry 
for  you.  I  am  half  inclined  to  risk  something  in  your  behalf." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  child " 

"  Hush  !  hush  !  You  don't  deserve  it  of  me,  but  neverthe- 
less   Come  here."  She  led  him  through  a  concealed  side- 
door  to  a  winding  iron  staircase.  "  Go  up,"  she  said,  "  and 
knock  at  the  second  door  on  the  left.  I  will  keep  guard  here 
for  you.  Remember,  only  two  minutes  !"  He  hastened  up. 

Lilli  heard  him  knock — twice  in  vain,  and  then  the  door 
was  opened.  She  seemed  to  have  waited  a  long  time,  when 
she  again  heard  steps  in  the  corridor.  "  Well?"  she  asked. 

"  Katrine  is  quite  recovered,"  he  replied,  with  a  beaming 
face.  "  We  have  just  decided  that  I  am  to  take  her  to  supper 
in  spite  of  everything  and  everybody." 

"  Bravo  !    bravo  !" 

He  took  her  hand  and  pressed  it  gratefully.  "  Oh,  how  I 
thank  you  !  Pray  go  up  and  bring  Katrine  down.  I  will  dis- 
appear through  this  door,  to  meet  you  by  chance  in  the  pavilion 
and  take  charge  of  Katrine  in  the  face  of  all  the  world." 

"  But  what  will  Frau  Ambcrger  say?" 

"  We  will  think  of  that  to-morrow.     To-day  is  our  own." 

"  Go,  go,  then  !"  She  closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  ran 
up-stairs  to  help  her  friend  efface  all  traces  of  her  tears. 
"Am  I  not  a  fool  ?"  poor  Katrine  asked. 

Frau  Barbara  could  hardly  believe  her  eyes  when  she  saw 
her  daughter  calmly  going  to  supper  upon  the  Professor's 
arm.  "  I  brought  her  down,"  Lilli  explained,  "  and  begged 
our  dear  Professor  to  take  charge  of  her.  He  will  soon  mako 
her  well  again." 
i* 


202  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

The  old  lady  turned  away  with  a  frown.  "  We  ought  to 
have  left  Berlin  yesterday,"  she  said  to  herself. 

Sidonie  sat  at  the  supper-table  in  anything  but  a  pleasant 
humour.  What  was  the  Professor  thinking  of,  to  take  "  such 
an  insignificant  girl"  to  supper? 


CHAPTER    XV. 

COUNCILLOR  WIESEL  had  spoken  of  a  certain  Count  Glei- 
chenau  who  was  staying  in  Berlin  on  account  of  the  health 
of  his  son.  Upon  inquiring,  the  Professor  learned  that  this 
was,  in  fact,  the  possessor  of  the  large  entailed  estate  bearing 
his  name,  and  that  therefore  a  journey  thither  might  be  avoided. 

Count  Gleichenau  had  hired  a  luxurious  house  in  the  Vik- 
toriastrasse,  which  combined  all  the  elegance  and  comfort  of 
a  winter  residence  with  the  requirements  of  a  summer  home. 
The  gardens  around  it  were  carefully  kept,  and  there  was 
an  immense  retinue  of  servants,  but  the  life  led  there  was 
most  retired.  The  Count  received  no  visits,  and  never  left  the 
house  except  to  take  the  drives  with  his  son  ordered  by  the 
physician,  whose  vehicle  might  be  seen  several  times  a  day 
standing  before  the  mansion,  and,  when  the  weather  permitted, 
the  father  wheeled  the  invalid  about  the  garden  in  a  low  chair 
constructed  for  the  purpose. 

The  Professor  had  passed  this  house  several  times,  less  with 
the  expectation  than  in  the  hope  of  meeting  the  Count,  for  he 
could  not  endure  the  idea  of  presenting  himself  as  a  son  to  a 
man  whose  face  he  had  never  seen  since  his  infancy.  His 
exterior  at  least  .must  be  no  longer  strange  to  him.  One  day, 
at  noon,  he  passed  just  as  the  Count  was  driving  off, — a  tall, 
spare  figure,  dressed  in  gray,  with  a  head  which  would  have 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  203 

been  very  handsome  but  for  a  certain  prominence  of  the  nose 
and  chin.  His  gray  felt  hat  was  pressed  down  over  his  eyes, 
his  hair  was  cut  short  after  the  military  fashion,  and  his  yel- 
lowish-whits moustache  was  drawn  out  into  two  long  points. 
The  pale  lad  beside  him  leaned  back  among  the  cushions  of 
the  carriage,  and,  despite  the  warmth  of  the  day,  the  old  man 
enveloped  him  carefully  in  a  thin  woollen  wrap.  As  Schon- 
rade  passed,  he  lifted  his  hat,  an  attention  that  evidently  took 
the  Count  by  surprise.  He  returned  the  greeting  with  the 
hurried  air  of  one  recalled  to  a  duty  he  had  neglected,  and 
then  apparently  searched  his  memory  for  a  recognition  of  the 
stranger,  for  as  the  carriage  drove  off  he  turned  on  the  seat 
and  looked  back. 

The  next  day  the  Professor  went  to  the  house  and  sent  in 
his  card.  He  was  instantly  shown  into  the  library,  where  the 
Count  arose  to  receive  him,  the  card  still  in  his  hand.  For  an 
instant  he  appeared  to  remember  having  seen  him  before,  but 
then  slowly  shook  his  head  in  utter  ignorance  of  his  guest's 
person. 

Schonrade  for  a  moment  could  find  no  words  in  which  to 
open  the  conversation.  His  father  stood  before  him,  and  the 
next  few  minutes  would  decide  whether  he  had  done  well  or 
ill  in  presenting  to  him  his  son.  The  Count  looked  worn  and 
anxious ;  there  were  deep  furrows  in  his  forehead  and  cheeks, 
and  the  green  hangings  of  the  room  increased  his  natural 
pallor.  This  man  had  passed  through  bitter  trials,  and  their 
traces  were  graven  deeply  upon  his  countenance. 

"  You  are  looking  at  my  card  again,  Count  Gleichcnau,"  the 
guest  began,  at  last.  "  Does  the  name  upon  it — suggest " 

The  Count  put  down  the  card  and  motioned  the  Professor 
to  take  a  seat.  "  The  name — I  cannot  remember — Professor 
Xaver  Schonrade — I  must  have  heard  the  name  frequently, 
but — my  memory  is  very  poor — very  poor.  Xaver,  to  be  sure 
— Xaver — but  that  has  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It  is  rather  an 


204  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

unusual  name — and  I  had  a  son —  But  that  has  nothing 
to  do  with  it."  He  put  up  a  thin  right  hand,  and  reflectively 
rubbed  his  forehead, — then  dropped  it  by  his  side  with  a  slight 
inclination,  as  if  to  entreat  an  explanation  of  the  visit. 

The  Professor  thought  any  longer  preparation  entirely  un- 
necessary. It  needed  but  a  single  word  to  turn  in  the  right 
direction  the  Count's  surmise,  already  busy  with  memories  of 
his  son.  "  The  name  Schbnrade  is  only  a  translation  of  the 
Italian  Bellarota,"  he  said,  in  a  tone  which  he  vainly  strove  to 
preserve  free  from  emotion. 

"  Bellarota!"  exclaimed  the  Count,  sitting  erect  in  his  arm- 
chair. "  Bellarota,"  he  repeated,  more  gently,  sinking  slowly 
back  again,  while  his  eyes  never  strayed  from  his  guest's  coun- 
tenance. "  Why — do — you  tell  me  that,  sir?" 

Schonrade  bit  his  lip  with  a  strong  effort  to  conquer  his 
agitation.  "  To  preface  a  disclosure,"  he  said,  with  as  much 
composure  as  he  could  command,  "  that  is  thus  tardy  only 
because  I  have  but  lately  become  aware  of  certain  facts.  Let 
me  premise,  Count  Gleichenau,  that  the  practical  importance 
of  this  disclosure  concerns  yourself  alone.  I  am  entirely  inde- 
pendent, and  have  created  for  myself  in  the  world  in  which  I 
live  a  position  of  which  I  conceive  I  have  some  right  to  be 
proud.  I  confess  that  this  circumstance  had  weight  with  me 
when  I  resolved  to  seek  you  out.  It  must  render  impossible 
any  suspicion  that  this  step  could  be  prompted  by  unworthy 
motives.  I  desire  nothing  save  the  acknowledgment  of  my 
rights;  any  use  that  I  may  make  of  this  acknowledgment 
will  certainly  meet  with  your  approval.  Will  you  allow  me 
to  speak  ?" 

"  Go  on,  go  on !"  the  Count  exclaimed,  his  haggard  cheek 
flushed  with  crimson.  "  Your  mother — 

"  Is  Camilla  Bellarotta." 

"  Camilla !" 

"  The  divorced  wife  of  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg." 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  205 

"My  wife!" 

The  Count  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  his  face  grew  ghastly 
pale,  and  he  pressed  his  hand  upon  his  eyes.  "  Camilla — Ca- 
milla  "  he  murmured. 

Xaver  was  touched.  He  arose  and  approached  him.  "  Count 
Gleichenau,"  he  said,  gently,  in  a  low  tone,  "  what  I  say  re- 
quires proof.  If  I  can  produce  this,  and  if  you  are  that 
Freiherr  yon  Honeburg,  I  have  the  right  to  call  myself  your 
son.  But  do  not  be  startled  by  the  idea  that  you  must  play 
the  father  to  a  man  whom  you  have  not  seen  since  his  infancy, 
and  who  can  be  no  more  to  you  than  any  other  stranger  who 
may  happen  to  present  himself  before  you.  I  fully  admit 
that  nature,  in  such  a  case,  does  not  assert  her  claim, — filial 
love  is  largely  gratitude,  and  gratitude  I  owe  you  none.  All 
that  I,  at  my  age,  can  hope  for  is  that  I  have  found  a  man 
whose  friendship  I  shall  be  glad  to  win,  and  who  may  in  time 
value  me  as  a  friend.  In  time,  Count  Gleichenau !  It  must 
take  time.  Permit  me  to  lay  these  papers  upon  your  table, 
and  to  take  my  leave.  I  shall  hold  myself  aloof  until  you 
see  fit  to  send  for  me." 

"  Not  yet !  oh,  not  so  quickly!"  the  Count  entreated,  as  he 
took  his  hand  within  his  trembling  grasp  and  drew  him  to- 
wards him.  "  Did  I  not  seem  yesterday,  when  I  saw  you  first 
— when  you  bowed — you  bowed  to  me,  did  you  not  ? — did  I 
not  seem  to  be  for  one  instant  in  a  dream  of  the  past,  that  I 
could  not  explain  ?  I  know  now  what  called  it  up.  Your 
mother's  features, — as  a  little  child  you  were  like  her."  He 
stood  up,  and  drew  aside  the  curtain  from  before  a  picture  that 
hung  above  his  writing-table.  "Look,"  he  continued,  "here 
is  all  that  is  left  me  of  Camilla, — her  picture.  She  could  not 
take  it  from  me,  because  at  that  sad  time  it  was  still  in  the 
artist's  possession.  How  lovely  she  was, — how  lovely  !" 

.  Xaver   could   hardly  master   his  emotion"  at   finding  his 
mother's  memory  thus  preserved. 

18 


206  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  She  is  still  a  beautiful  woman,"  he  said,  "although " 

"Where  is  she?"  the  Count  interrupted  him,  letting  the 
curtain  drop,  and  turning  towards  him.  "  Where  is  she  ? 
While  she  was  upon  the  stage,  the  newspapers  told  me  of  her 
whereabouts ;  but  for  years  now  they  have  said  nothing  of 
her  art  or  of  her." 

"  She  withdrew  long  ago  from  the  stage,"  Xaver  replied, 
"  and  has  since  been  living  in  great  retirement,  here  in  Berlin, 
upon  the  income  of  her  earnings." 

"  Here  !"  cried  the  Count.  "  And  I  never  knew  it !  But 
how  could  I  ?  I  am  a  hermit.  Take  me  to  her  !  I  must  see 
her ;  I  must  learn  from  her  own  lips  that  she  has  forgiven." 

The  Professor  avoided  meeting  his  eye.  "  Count  Glei- 
chenau,"  he  said,  "  my  mother  knows  that  I  am  come  to 
you,  but  she  does  not  approve  my  doing  so,  and  she  does  not 
desire  to  have  any  part  in  the  consequences  of  such  a  step.  I 
cannot  judge  her " 

"  She  is  still  angry,  then !"  the  Count  interrupted,  and  the 
frown  appeared  again  upon  his  brow.  "  She  will  never  for- 
give. But  I  will  not  relinquish  all  hope,  now  that  I  have  an 
intercessor  in  her  son."  He  took  Xaver's  hand  and  gently 
forced  him  to  sit  down  again,  standing  the  while  himself. 
"  Stay,  stay  awhile,"  he  said ;  "  give  me  at  least  a  superficial 
glance  at  your  present  life.  I  too  trust  we  shall  be  friends." 

"  Will  you  not  first,  for  my  own  satisfaction,  look  through 
those  papers  ?" 

The  Count  took  them  from  the  table  and  glanced  over  them 
hurriedly.  "  What  do  they  signify  ?  A  baptismal  certificate  ; 
a  certificate  of  the  confirmation  of  Xavcr  Bcllarota ;  teachers' 
testimonials  as  to  your  diligence  and  acquirements  ;  a  diploma. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  you  are  Professor  Xaver  Schimrade, 
who  sent  me  in  this  card,  '  alias  Xavcr  Bellarota,'  as  your 
diploma  has  it,»and  that  you  are  Camilla's  son  and  nifne, 
as  this  baptismal  certificate  attc.-ts.  What  possible  reason 


THE    GREEN  GATE.  207 

could  a  man  in  your  position  have  for  deceiving  me  ?  I  know 
that  Camilla  refused  to  allow  her  son  to  bear  my  name,  and. 
since  I  learn  that  you  have  only  lately  discovered  what  this 
name  is,  I  know  that  she  fulfilled  her  threat,  to  keep  her  child 
in  ignorance  of  it.  God  forgive  her  for  taking  such  a  revenge  !" 

The  Professor  related  all  that  he  thought  worth  hearing  of 
his  life  and  pursuits,  detailing  every  particular  of  his  visit  to 
the  Honeburg. 

The  Count  listened  attentively,  giving  from  time  to  time  a 
nod  of  assent.  "  Yes,  yes ;  it  was  all  as  you  say,"  he  said, 
when  the  story  was  concluded.  "  You  have  learned  from  those 
letters  and  papers  all  the  particulars  of  that  sad  time,  and  from 
your  manner  in  relating  them  I  see  that  you  do  not  entirely 
justify  the  offended  wife.  Oh,  I  could  complete  that  corre-. 
spondence  by  producing  Camilla's  letters  to  me,  but  I  will  not 
try  to  excuse  the  wrong  I  did  by  adducing  evidence  of  that 
passionate  intemperance  of  thought  and  word  that  cooled  the 
ardour  of  my  affection  for  her.  I  grant  that  the  sudden  acces- 
sion of  fortune  which  transformed  me  from  a  needy  retired 
officer,  burdened  with  debt,  to  a  very  wealthy  man,  from  the 
possessor  of  an  ancient  name,  and  of  nothing  else,  to  a  member 
of  the  landed  aristocracy,  dazzled  and  bewildered  me,  confusing 
for  awhile  my  estimate  of  the  real  value  of  everything.  Per- 
haps in  time  I  should  have  recovered  myself,  had  there  been 
a  gentle,  patient  hand  to  lead  me  back  to  the  right  path.  As 
it  was,  nothing  was  more  to  be  avoided,  headstrong  as  I  was, 
than  a  hasty  misconception  of  my  motives  and  a  passionate  op- 
position to  plans  that  were  but  half  formed  at  the  time ;  and 

Camilla But  I  will  not  allude  to  her  errors, — you  see 

how  difficult  it  is  to  look  merely  objectively  at  one's  own  past. 
Possibly  I  regard  my  conduct  now  from  a  point  of  view  that 
would  then  have  been  impossible  to  me,  and  which  I  have 
gained  only  through  the  hard  trials  and  bitter  experiences  of 
years.  Let  me  simply  acknowledge  that  I  was  M'rong.  But  to 


208  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

you,  my  son,  I  must  recall  the  fact  that  at  least  I  left  no  means 
untried  to  soften  the  wrong  I  did.  It  surely  was  not  my  fault 
that  Camilla  sternly  refused  at  my  hands  every  means  of  sup- 
port for  herself  and  our  child.  I  endowed  her  with  a  yearly 
sum  which  would  have  maintained  her  independently  and  suit- 
ably as  the  mother  of  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg.  I  sent 
her  this  quarterly,  but  my  letters  and  enclosures  were  always 
returned  unopened.  The  mediation  of  friends  and  of  lawyers 
was  alike  fruitless.  Once,  when  I  heard  from  a  source  to 
be  relied  upon  that  she  was  in  absolute  need,  I  myself  went 
to  entreat  her  at  least  to  accept  of  a  loan ;  but  she  refused  to 
see  me,  and  preferred  to  take  her  father's  name  and  wander 
about  the  world  as  a  singer.  Every  intelligence  of  her  son's 
welfare  was  denied  me.  I  could  do  nothing  save  deposit  with 
a  banker  the  yearly  sums  I  had  appropriated  to  her  and  your 
support,  and  hope  that  in  future  years  the  property  thus  ac- 
cumulated might  be  of  some  use  to  you  or  to  your  heirs.  I 
was  powerless  opposed  to  her  pride, — she  humiliated  me  at 
every  turn.  And  yet  I  must  confess  to  the  admiration  with 
which  her  force  inspired  me.  I  could  not  redeem  my  fault, — 
I  bore  it  always  with  me,  a  burden  that  increased  with  years, 
like  the  money  that  was  deposited  upon  her  account.  And 
now  I  hear  from  her  son  that  she  is  still  implacable." 

Xaver  heard  him  without  interruption, — he  saw  how  great 
a  relief  it  was  to  the  man  to  pour  out  his  grief  in  this  way. 
Every  word  carried  with  it  conviction  of  the  kindly  disposi- 
tion of  the  speaker.  "  Why  cannot  my  mother  learn  to  know 
you  as  I  see  you  now  ?"  he  said.  "  But  her  heart  remains  un- 
touched by  what  moves  mine.  I  have  only  one  hope  in  the 
matter:  she  loves  me  tenderly  ;  her  pain  in  knowing  me,  in 
spite  of  all  obstacles  interposed  by  herself,  united  with  my 
father,  will  be  overcome, — she  surely  will  not  be  able  to  close 
her  heart  forever  to  the  friend  of  a  son  so  fondly  loved.  This 
is  my  hope." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  209 

The  Count  pressed  his  hand,  and  sat  silent  for  awhile.  The 
Professor  arose  and  took  his  hat.  "  Permit  me  to  retire,"  he 

said  ;  "  you  need  rest,  and  I  too Farewell.     May  I  come 

again  ?" 

"  May  you  ?"  exclaimed  the  old  man,  arising  and  approach- 
ing him.  "  I  trust  you  will  not  allow  a  day  to  pass  without 

coming  to  this  house.    If  you  knew  how  sad But  no 

more  of  this."  Another  idea  seemed  suddenly  to  occur  to 
him ;  he  looked  about  as  if  in  search  of  something.  "  Wait 
one  moment,"  he  then  said ;  "  I  must  present  my  dear  com- 
panion to  you."  He  opened  the  door  into  an  adjoining  room, 
and  called,  "  Kunibert !" 

The  pale  lad  whom  the  Professor  had  seen  in  the  carriage 
appeared  upon  the  threshold.  It  was  plain  to  see  from  his 
languid  air  that  he  had  outgrown  his  strength.  "  What  is  it, 
father  dear?"  he  asked,  in  a  weak,  husky  voice,  with  a  shy 
glance  towards  the  stranger. 

"  My  poor  invalid  boy!"  the  Count  said, leading  him  up  to 
Xaver.  "  You  need  fear  no  teasing  questions  from  this  gen- 
tleman, Kunibert ;  he  is  a  professor,  but  no  physician.  Who 
do  you  think  he  is  ?  Look  at  him  well.  I  trust  we  shall  see 
him  daily." 

The  lad  looked  down,  embarrassed.    "  I  cannot  tell,  sir." 
"  Of  course,  of  course  ;  how  should  you  ?     But  if  I  should 

tell  you  that  your  brother  Xaver  has  been  found " 

The  lad  looked  up  quickly,  and  a  flush  of  pleasure  coloured 
his  pale  cheek.  "  My  brother  Xaver  ?  And  this  gentle- 
man  " 

"  Is  he,"  the  Professor  concluded  the  sentence,  offering  him 
his  hand.  "  Do  you  think  you  can  be  friends  with  him  ?" 

"  Easily,"  the  boy  replied,  after  a  short  pause,  regarding 
the  Professor  with  boyish  frankness.  "  It  will  be  a  jolly 
thing  to  have  a  real  brother  of  my  own.  But  you  are  so  much 

older  than  I — and " 

18* 


210  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

He  was  again  covered  with  confusion.  His  father  laid  his 
hand  caressingly  upon  his  shoulder.  "  It  is  a  great  surprise 
for  you,  my  boy ;  we  shall  need  time  to  discuss  all  this  to- 
gether quietly,  and  when  you  meet  again  I  trust  it  will  be  like 
old  acquaintances." 

The  Professor  took  his  leave,  the  Count  accompanying  him 
with  every  mark  of  cordiality.  His  emotion  seemed  at  last 
to  master  him ;  he  seized  his  son's  hands,  wrung  them  in  his 
own,  and  turned  away,  greatly  agitated.  "  To-morrow  !"  the 
Professor  exclaimed,  as  he  left  the  house. 

The  next  forenoon  the  Count  returned  his  son's  visit.  He 
found  Herr  Ernst  von  Fuchs  with  him,  using  all  his  eloquence 
to  induce  him  to  throw  aside  his  work  in  the  evening  and  ac- 
cept an  invitation  from  the  ladies  Feinberg  to  a  petit  sonper 
that  they  had  arranged.  "  Don't  attempt  any  excuse,  my  dear 
fellow,"  he  said  ;  "  it  will  not  be  received.  Fraulein  Sidonie 
would  be  too  much  disappointed  by  a  refusal,  and  would,  be- 
sides, entertain  but  .a  poor  opinion  of  me  as  a  messenger. 
Heavens  !  what  a  man  you  are  !  Here  are  the  ladies  perfectly 
raving  about  you,  you  have  only  to  close  your  hand  upon  the 
prize  that  is  ready  to  drop  into  it,  and  you  retire  and  take  airs 
upon  yourself  like  a  young  girl  with  a  wooer  of  sixty." 
-  "  I  have  already  given  you  to  understand,"  Schbnrade  re- 
plied, "  that  I  have  no  mind  to  appropriate  this  prize.  The 
field  is  yours,  Ernst." 

"  Oh,  I  understand,"  the  other  exclaimed :  "  you  believe  you 
can  insure  your  conquest  by  seeming  to  prize  it  lightly." 

"  If  my  tactics  are  wrong,  so  much  the  better  for  you,"  said 
(he  Professor. 

"  This  seems  to  be  a  very  odd  dispute,"  the  Count  re- 
marked. "  Each  wishes  to  accredit  the  other  with  assured 
success." 

Xavcr  laughed.  "  And  all  about  a  young  lady  who  is 
already  betrothed." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  211 

"  Bah  !  betrothed  !"  exclaimed  Herr  von  Fuchs.  "  I  do 
not  believe  in  that  betrothal." 

"  You,  of  course,  have  a  right  to  your  opinion,"  rejoined 
the  Professor ;  "  I  can  only  assure  you  that  I  know  her  lover, 
— a  young  man  of  unexceptionable  family  and  large  fortune." 

"  And  is  that  what  deters  you  from  frequenting  the  girl's 
society,  desirous  as  she  is  of  charming  you  to  her  side  ?" 
•  Schonrade  paused  for  a  moment.     "  That  does  deter  me,1' 
he  then  replied,  decidedly. 

"  Oh,  pattern  of  chivalrous  honour  !"  exclaimed  the  gentle- 
man. "  Is  it  possible  that  you  do  not  see  that  the  ladies  have 
come  hither  solely  on  your  account  ?  I  found  that  out  the 
first  hour  we  were  together." 

The  Professor  made  a  deprecatory  gesture.  "A  very  fleet- 
ing interest,  I  assure  you  !  One  could  hardly  find  any  foun- 
dation there  for  setting  aside  the  claims  of  her  acknowledged 
lover." 

"  Which  no  one  seems  to  value  less  than  the  lover  himself." 

"  However  that  may  be,  my  dear  Fuchs,  however  that  may 

V )) 

The  gentleman  spoke  in  his  ear.  "  May  I  hint  to  Frilu- 
lein  Sidonie  the  reasons  for  your  conscientious  reserve?"  he 
asked,  with  a  sly  glance.  "  Of  course  with  all  due  discre- 
tion  " 

"  I  empower  you  to  be  as  indiscreet  as  you  please,"  said 
Schonrade,  aloud  and  evasively. 

The  ladies'  ambassador  was  not  yet  content.  "  And  you 
will  come  this  evening,  my  dear  fellow  ?"  he  insisted. 

"  Do  not  forget  that  you  have  promised  me  this  evening," 
the  Count  remarked,  coming  to  his  assistance. 

"  You  hear?"  said  the  Professor,  with  a  shrug. 

But  Herr  von  Fuchs  was  not  so  easily  appeased.  "  We 
shall  keep  it  up  very  late.  Surely  you  can  sacrifice  an  hour's 
sleep  to  a  charming  young  girl " 


212  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

The  Professor  shook  his  head. 

"  Then  you  must  excuse  yourself  to-morrow  morning  on 
the  plea  of  sudden  illness,"  the  ambassador  concluded.  "I 
dare  not  carry  back  a  decided  '  no.' "  He  thereupon  took  his 
departure. 

"  I  hope  you  were  not  constrained  in  any  way  by  my  pres- 
ence ?"  the  Count  remarked. 

"  Rest  assured  on  that  point,"  Xaver  replied.  "  I  have 
weighty  reasons  for  not  leaving  the  lady  in  question  in  any 
doubt  as  to  my  sentiments."  And  in  a  few  words  he  ex- 
plained matters  to  his  father. 

"  I  have  seen  this  Herr  Otto  Feinberg,"  said  the  Count,  re- 
flectively. "  There  was  some  project  for  a  new  line  of  railway 
afoot,  and  he  came  to  me  in  its  behalf,  to  ask  for  my  name 
in  the  undertaking :  there  was  something,  too,  about  their 
wanting  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  ruin  of  Honeburg. 
I  did  not  like  the  man,  and  I  made  inquiries  of  one  of  my 
friends  in  the  ministry  about  his  brother's  business  status  and 
the  chances  of  his  project.  He  is  thought  a  very  wealthy 
man  at  present,  but  there  is  no  confidence  in  the  stability  of 
his  plans,  and  obstacles  were  therefore  intentionally  placed  in 
his  way.  There  was  another  reason  why  I  could  do  nothing 
for  him,  to  which,  of  course,  I  did  not  allude.  The  Houeburg 
does  not  belong  to  me." 

The  Professor  sat  silent,  although  his  father  seemed  to 
expect  some  expression  of  surprise  on  his  part. 

"  It  belongs,  and  has  done  so  for  thirty  years,  to  my  son 
Xaver,"  the  Count  continued. 

':  To  be  frank,  I  found  your  deed  .of  gift  among  the  papers 
left  at  the  Honeburg  by  my  mother,"  said  Schijnrade,  in  some 
embarrassment.  "  The  gift  was  not  accepted,  and  must,  of 
course,  be  considered  as  recalled." 

"  By  no  means,"  the  Count  rejoined.  "  I  expressly  made 
any  such  recall  impossible.  Who  knows  whether  that  heap 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  213 

of  sand  and  strip  of  waste  land  may  not  be  worth  something, 
now  that " 

Schb'nrade  laid  his  hand  upon  his  arm.  "  Do  not  let  us 
speak  of  that  now,"  he  entreated. 

"  You  are  right,"  the  Count  said,  kindly.  "  Rather  let  me 
hear  something  of  my  learned  son's  occupations  and  interests. 
You  must  not  take  it  amiss  that  I  have  never  read  your  book, 
— every  line  interests  me  now,  and  I  have  already  written  to 
my  bookseller " 

"  Unnecessary  extravagance,"  Xaver  interrupted  him,  taking 
from  his  table  a  book  wrapped  in  thick  paper.  "  If  you  do 
not  scorn  a  gift  that  costs  me  nothing " 

The  Count  thanked  him  cordially,  and  they  were  soon  deep 
in  scientific  matters.  They  might  have  been  old  acquaintances, 
from  the  tone  of  the  conversation. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

DURING  the  following  days  the  father  and  son  spent  many 
hours  together.  The  Count  did  all  that  he  could  to  testify 
to  Xaver  his  delight  in  his  new-found  son,  and  the  Professor 
forgot  more  and  more  the  reserve  of  manner  which  he  had 
resolved  to  maintain.  He  must  have  been  cold  indeed  if  the 
old  man's  kindness  and  evident  desire  to  do  all  that  he  could 
to  win  a  place  in  his  affection  had  not  touched  him  to  the 
heart. 

There  was  no  occasion  to  decide  upon  which  side  lay  the 
blame  of  the  mournful  separation  that  had  hitherto  estranged 
father  and  son.  They  owed  it  to  a  fortunate  chance  that  they 
were  at  last  together,  and  every  day  strengthened  the  bond 
between  them,  by  an  intercourse  that  was  a  source  of  mutual 


214  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

pleasure  and  profit.  Kunibert  too,  happy  in  seeing  his  father 
no  longer  a  prey  to  constant  depression  of  mind,  and  cheered 
by  his  brother's  society,  grew  less  listless,  and  more  disposed 
to  second  by  his  own  exertions  the  efforts  of  his  physician, 
while  he  began  to  manifest  an  interest  in  the  world  around 
him,  and  an  intelligence  that  surprised  and  pleased  both 
father  and  brother. 

The  Count  soon  had  no  reserve  with  his  new-found  son. 
Xaver  learned  that  his  second  marriage  had  been  productive 
of  but  little  happiness.  Kunibert's  mother  had  been  one  of 
a  prominent  family  in  the  circle  of  which  the  young  Count 
of  Gleichenau  found  himself  a  member.  Within  its  charmed 
bounds  the  social  and  political  aspects  of  the  present  were 
entirely  ignored  ;  mediaeval  modes  of  thought  were  encouraged, 
and  everything  tending  to  progress  was  discountenanced  and 
disapproved.  It  would  have  needed  the  moral  force  of  a  re- 
former, and  the  assured  calm  of  a  philosopher,  to  endure  such 
an  atmosphere  or  to  attempt  to  dispel  it.  Young  Gleichcnau's 
only  thought  was  to  enjoy  a  life  of  luxury,  from  which  his 
poverty  had  hitherto  excluded  him.  No  wonder  that  he  had 
dreaded  to  introduce  Camilla  to  this  new  circle,  especially 
since  she  herself  heaped  proof  on  proof  of  her  unsuitability 
for  such  a  sphere. 

As  soon  as  he  saw  how  hopeless  it  was  for  him  to  swim 
against  the  current,  he  determined  to  swim  with  it  as  far  as 
was  possible.  He  prescnled  himself  as  a  suitor  in  one  of  the 
most  conservative  of  these  ancient  families.  The  lady  upon 
whom  his  choice  fell  had  been  educated  to  consider  pride, 
arrogance,  and  a  haughty  demeanor  aristocratic  virtues,  and, 
in  addition,  she  was  far  from  strong  physically,  and  was  very 
irritable.  Still,  the  marriage  might  have  been  a  happier  one 
if  the  wife  tad  been  able  to  refrain  from  making  claims  upon 
an  affection  of  which  her  suitor  had  frankly  admitted  to  her 
he  was  no  longer  capable.  She  soon  discovered  that  his  heart 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  215 

was  sore  from  the  loss  of  his  divorced  wife,  and  she  tormented 
him  with  her  jealous  fancies.  He  came  into  repeated  collision 
with  his  associates,  whose  narrow-minded  views  with  regard  to 
life  and  the  world  he  was  not  made  to  share ;  and  the  loss 
of  three  or  four  children  in  infancy  still  further  saddened  and 
embittered  his  existence.  What,  after  all,  was  the  life  worth 
for  which  he  had  sacrificed  so  much  ?  When,  however,  after 
eight  years  of  marriage,  Kunibert  was  born,  and  father  and 
mother  in  him  found  a  common  interest,  their  life  became 
far  more  harmonious ;  and  the  boy  had  never  suspected  dis- 
union between  them,  so  that  after  his  mother's  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  fourteen,  he  felt  it  no  insult  to  her 
memory  to  learn  from  his  father  that  he  had  been  previously 
married,  and  to  be  shown  a  picture  of  the  first  wife,  as  a  care- 
fully-cherished relic.  Kunibert's  delicate  health  was  the  cause 
of  constant  absence  from  Gleichenau,  and  the  Count  had  come 
to  Berlin  in  hope  of  effecting  a  permanent  cure. 

With  all  his  duties,  the  Professor  found  time  to  visit  his 
mother  and  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Councillor's  wife. 
Of  course  he  contrived  to  exchange  a  few  confidential  words 
with  Lilli,  who,  two  days  after  Katrine's  departure,  conveyed 
to  him  a  letter  from  her  and  took  charge  of  his  reply. 
Katrine  wrote  resolutely  but  sadly.  She  had  been  duly  re- 
proached and  catechised  by  her  mother,  but  had  borne  herself 
bravely,  refusing  to  make  any  concession  of  her  sentiments. 
Therefore  they  were  to  travel  longer  than  had  been  at  first 
intended.  Schbnrade  could  tell  her  that  he  had  found  his 
father,  and  was  ready  to  follow  her  to  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
as  soon  as  he  felt  himself  master  of  the  situation.  This  he 
was  not  as  yet,  and  he  begged  her  not  to  require  him  for  the 
present  to  appear  before  Frau  Barbara  as  the  Freiherr  von 
Huueburg.  Everything  with  regard  to  this  matter  must  re- 
main a  profound  secret  for  awhile.  "  But  we  can  have  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing,  my  darling,  that  this  anchor  of  hope" 


216  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

— thus  he  concluded  his  letter — "  can  be  made  use  of,  in  case 
of  danger,  at  any  moment." 

His  line  of  conduct  towards  his  mother  was  difficult.  At 
the  first  few  interviews  that  he  had  with  her  after1  their  last 
important  conversation,  she  seemed  estranged  from  him,  she 
received  and  dismissed  him  with  unwonted  formality,  she 
ostensibly  led  the  conversation  to  dwell  upon  commonplace 
matters,  and  refused  to  second  any  effort  of  his  to  make  it 
more  confidential. 

He  on  his  part,  however,  refused  to  be  deterred  from  enter- 
ing into  all  the  particulars  of  his  daily  life,  telling  how  he  had 
found  the  Count,  and  how  kindly  he  had  received  him;  but  he 
was  not  at  his  ease  while  he  talked.  It  was  a  gain,  he  thought, 
that  Camilla  did  not  absolutely  forbid  these  communications, 
but  listened  without  contradicting  his  favorable  judgment. 
And  our  Professor  learned  to  be  diplomatic.  He  knew  that 
we  forgive  most  readily  when  we  find  the  wrong  that  we  have 
suffered  avenging  itself.  He  knew  she  must  find  a  certain 
satisfaction  in  the  knowledge  that  the  wrong-doer  had  not 
found  peace  in  his  wrong-doing,  but  had  reaped  a  plentiful 
crop  of  thistles,  and  he  painted  the  Count's  sufferings,  not  as 
if  appealing  to  her  pity,  but  as  if  to  appease  her  sense  of 
justice.  Sooner  than  he  had  hoped  he  accomplished  his  design, 
which  was  not  merely  to  inform  her  of  all  that  he  had  learned, 
but  gradually  to  temper  her  resentment  and  predispose  her  to 
gentler  judgments.  Of  course  he  did  not  forget  to  touch 
upon  the  fact  that  the  Count  still  cherished  her  portrait;  and 
when  he  found  it  produced  a  favorable  impression,  he  dwelt 
upon  it  with  more  emphasis. 

One  evening  when  he  went  to  bring  her  home  from  the 
theatre  she  surprised  him  by  the  intelligence  that  she  had  re- 
ceived a  grand  visit.  At  first  he  supposed  that  the  Count  had 
been  unable  longer  to  restrain  his  impatience,  and  he  was  the 
more  startled  to  learn  that  Madame  Feinberu'  and  her  daughter 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  217 

had  done  themselves  the  pleasure  of  waiting  upon  "  the  famous 
singer,  Camilla  Bellarota,"  the  mother  of  "  the  well-known 
Professor  Schonrade."  "  I  really  did  not  know  I  was  a  Berlin 
celebrity,"  Camilla  said,  gaily.  "  If  Friiulein  Sidunie  has  any 
brains,  she  must  have  inherited  them  from  her  father,  for 
her  mother,  in  spite  of  the  fashion-plate  that  she  makes  of  her- 
self, is  extremely  tiresome.  She  admired  greatly  my  flowers 
in  the  window,  and  declared  they  were  all  nature, — as  if  it  were 
natural  for  any  plant  to  grow  in  a  flower-stand  and  be  shone 
upon  through  a  window  by  a  Berlin  sun."  Her  son  laughed. 
"  She  begged  for  permission,"  she  continued,  "to  come  often  to 
take  me  to  drive.  Well,  you  know  my  fancy  for  driving.  But 
both  the  ladies  complained  bitterly  of  you.  I  was  to  tell  you 
that  you  are  a  most  discourteous  man,  and  that  you  do  not 
deserve  that  they  should  inquire  after  you,  and  a  great  deal 
besides.  I  promised  to  use  my  maternal  authority  to  lead  you 
back  to  the  paths  of  duty ;  but  I  know  better  than  any  one 
else  how  little  my  maternal  authority  is  worth  of  late."  And 
she  sighed. 

The  next  morning  he  received  a  delicate  little  note ;  the 
address  was  in  Sidonie's  hand.  She  wrote,  "  Your  friend  has 
availed  himself  of  your  express  permission  to  be  indiscreet, 
and  my  resolve  was  taken  instantly.  Set  your  conscience  at 
rest.  I  am  free.  S." 

He  was  startled, — he  hardly  knew  at  first  by  what.  Lately 
his  head  had  been  so  full  of  other  things  that  he  really  had 
some  trouble  in  recalling  the  solution  of  this  riddle.  His 

friend ?  Who  was  his  friend  ?  Oh,  probably  Ernst  von 

Fuchs,  although  in  his  heart  he  had  never  accorded  him  that 
title.  What  was  his  conscience  to  be  set  at  rest  about  ?  The 
last  words,  "I  am  free,"  were  intelligible,  and  they  were  what 
startled  him.  He  could  not  but  understand  why  she  told  him 
this,  and  it  was  a  most  startling  thought  that  Sidonie  might 
have  understood  his  reminder  to  her  of  the  bonds  that  hia 
K  19 


218  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

conscientiousness  respected  as  a  desire  that  she  should  break 
them. 

The  affair  was  still  more  complicated  when,  towards  noon,  to 
his  great  surprise,  Madame  Feinberg  presented  herself. 

Her  ordinary  placidity  had  given  place  to  a  feverish  agita- 
tion. She  looked  pale  and  miserable.  "  What  will  you  think 
of  me,  my  dear  Herr  Professor,"  she  began,  refusing  his  offer 
of  a  seat  on  the  sofa,  and  sitting  down  in  a  chair  near  the 
window,  "  for  coming  to  you  here  ?  But  I  wanted  to  speak 
with  you  confidentially, — it  could  not  be  at  the  hotel,  for 
Sidonie  must  never  learn  the  step  I  resolved  to  take, — never. 
I  should  lose  her  confidence  forever.  It  is  about  something 
that  she How  shall  I  tell  you  ?" 

"  Compose  yourself,  madame,"  Schonrade  entreated ;  "  I 

trust  nothing  unfortunate Rely  at  least  upon  my  desire 

to  serve  you." 

She  held  out  her  hand  and  gave  him  a  look  that  would  have 
melted  a  stone.  "  You  are  our  friend,"  she  wailed,  "  yes,  you 
are  our  friend.-  I  knew  to  whom  I  had  to  come.  You  know 
all  our  family  affairs,  and  can  judge.  Oh,  if  I  had  only  refused 
to  let  Sidonie  take  this  journey,  now  that  I  see  what  she  meant 
by  it !  But  I  am  a  weak  mother,  a  very  weak  mother."  And 
she  smiled  tenderly  above  the  handkerchief  with  which  she 
lightly  touched  first  one  eye  and  then  the  other,  as  if  to  dry 
an  imaginary  tear.  "  You  know  that  Sidonie  is  betrothed, 
— betrothed  to  Moritz  Amberger.  You  know  Herr  Moritz 
Ambcrger ;  he  is  a  very  good,  amiable  man  in  his  way, — of 
an  excellent  family, — the  best  match  in  the  town,  it  is  true ; 
but  for  Sidonie —  '  She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  I  was 
afraid  she  was  too  hasty  when  she  said  '  yes '  to  him,  but 
her  father  was  so  determined ;  you  see,  that  is  the  difficulty. 
Feinberg  is  a  man  of  business ;  he  looks  at  things  from  a 
different  point  of  view  from  ours.  He  has  no  love  for 
nature ;  he  is  devising  plans  all  the  time,  and  when  he  has 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  219 

thought  them  out  they  must  be  carried  out ;  but  the  female 
heart- 
He  interrupted  this  torrent  of,  words.  "  Pray  consider, 
madame,  that  I " 

"  The  female  heart  demands  its  rights,"  she  continued,  more 
glibly  than  before  ;  "  and  Sidonie  has  a  true  and  tender  heart. 
Good  heavens !  that  child  will  have — entirely  between  ourselves, 
Ilerr  Professor — a  million  at  least ;  she  is  a  match  for  a  prince  ; 
but  she  takes  no  pleasure  in  wealth, — pomp  and  show  leave  her 
as  cold  as  ice, — as  cold  as  ice,  I  do  assure  you  !" 

Here  she  paused,  and  appeared  to  expect  some  remark  from 
her  auditor. 

"  Frauleiu  Sidonie  has  sufficient  intellect "  he  began, 

in  embarrassed  assent. 

"  Intellect !"  she  interrupted  him.  "  Oh,  what  an  intellect 
she  has  !  Poor  Sidonie !  her  intellect  is  her  misfortune, — her 
great  misfortune.  If  she  had  no  intellect  her  heart  would  be 
lighter.  Woman  needs  a  stay,  a  support,  some  one  to  revere  ; 
she  must  be  all  nature,  all  idealism.  She  cannot  love  her 
inferior,  and  Moritz — well,  you  know  him.  He  is  Sidonie's 
inferior, — she  cannot  love  him." 

"  It  is  very  unfortunate,"  he  remarked,  cautiously,  "  that 
Fraulein  Sidonie  at  this  late  date — 

"Oh,  most  unfortunate!"  she  assented.  "It  was  not  until 
she  saw  the  contrast  between —  Oh,  do  not  misunderstand 
me,  my  dear  Herr  Professor,  if  I  say  that  you — you,  entirely 
unconsciously,  unintentionally — first  opened  her  eyes  to  what 
she  was  doing." 

"I,  madame?" 

"  You,  you  !  I  do  not  mean  to  flatter  you,  but  you  are  a 
man  of  intellect, — a  man 

"  Madame " 

"  A  man  of  superior  talent ;  and  it  chanced  that  an  oppor- 
tunity occurred  of  comparing  you  with  Moritz.  From  that 


220  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

hour  Moritz  lost  all  hold  upon  Sidonie.  I  do  not  say  it  was 
your  fault, — you  cannot  help  being  what  you  are.  I  only 
wish  to  explain  how  it  was  that  Sidouie  came  to  leave  home ; 
and  now Can't  you  guess  ?" 

He  had  no  need  to  guess  :  he  knew  what  had  occurred ;  his 
silence  was  sufficient  answer. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  you  guess,"  the  lady  continued,  encouraged. 
"  Sidonie  has  broken  with  Herr  Amberger.  She  is  no  longer 
bound  to  that  insignificant  man,  whom  she  never  loved." 

She  looked  at  him  as  if  she  expected  from  him  some  ex- 
clamation of  delight.  This  utterly  confused  him. 

"  I  take  an  interest  in  all  you  are  good  enough  to  tell  me," 
he  rejoined,  in  a  dejected  tone  ;  "  but  if,  as  it  appears,  you 
fear  disagreeable  consequences  will  ensue  upon  your  daughter's 
unexpected  dismissal  of  Herr  Amberger,  I  really  cannot  see 

how  I It  would  be  a  great  pity  that  Friiulem  Sidonie 

should  be  over-hasty." 

"  Over-hasty ?"  Madame  Feinberg  repeated,  in  a  long- 
drawn  tone  that  betokened  the  greatest  surprise.  She  had 
evidently  expected  an  entirely  different  rejoinder.  But  she 
collected  herself  immediately. 

"  Yes,  over-hasty !  If  indeed  she  has  been  over-hasty, 
my  husband  will  be  furious.  He  was  resolved  upon  this  con- 
nection,— it  was  so  convenient  for  his  business ;  he  will  call 
her  refusal  caprice,  and  will  accuse  me  of  helping  to  destroy 
his  plans.  It  was  this  that  brought  me  to  you  as  a  friend." 
She  emphasized  the  last  sentence.  "  I  beg  you  to  talk  with 
Sidonie ;  she  has  such  implicit  confidence  in  you.  Tell  her 
what  you  think;  tell  her  everything, — frankly,  frankly,  just 

what  your  heart I  don't  mean  that, — just  what  your 

clear  judgment  dictates  in  the  way  of  advice.  And  if  the 
poor  child  remains  firm,  —  heavens!  her  mother  could  not 
blame  her  for  it.  Then  I  pray  you  advise  me  how  to  write  to 
my  husband  and  Moritz  Ainberger,  and  to  represent  the  afi'air 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  221 

to  them  so  as  to  cause  as  little  of  a  breach  between  them  as 
possible.  We  might,  I  think,  make  every  possible  concession 
to  Herr  Amberger.  Good  heavens  !  the  whole  matter,  viewed 
in  a  certain  aspect,  is  perfectly  reasonable.  My  husband 
wishes  his  only  child  to  be  well  cared  for.  He  would  give 
hor  his  blessing  upon  her  marriage  with  a  man  whom  she 
loved, — whom  she  loved!  That  is  the  chief  consideration. 
I  can  see  no  reason  why  our  son-in-law  must  be  a  merchant. 
Sidonie  has  intellect ;  she  has  education ;  she  is  at  home  in 
cultivated  society."  She  coughed  behind  her  handkerchief. 
"  But  why  speak  of  all  this  ?  Do  not,  I  pray  you,  think 
hardly  of  an  anxious  mother  who,  in  her  agitation,  may  say 
more  than —  You  are  our  friend  !  I  entreat  you  to  talk 
with  Sidonie." 

She  had  arisen  and  seized  his  hand,  which  she  pressed  to 
her  heart,  and  then,  waving  her  lace  pocket-handkerchief, 
slowly  walked  towards  the  door,  and  took  her  leave  without 
awaiting  his  reply.  In  her  carriage  her  face  lost  the  amiable 
look  it  had  worn  as  she  bade  her  "  friend"  farewell,  and  grew 
vexed  and  angry.  She  had  not  gained  the  end  she  had  in 
view,  but  she  hoped  she  had  not  betrayed  too  much,  if  a  re- 
treat should  prove  necessary.  Some  kind  of  an  explanation 
must  ensue. 

The  Professor  was  left  in  a  most  unenviable  state  of  mind. 
He  could  not  believe  that  this  was  all  a  farce,  in  which  Sidonie 
was  playing  the  principal  part.  Was  her  mother's  distress 
real,  or  affected  ?  and,  after  all,  what  did  she  desire  him  to  do? 
He  could  not  remember  one  intelligible  sentence  in  all  she  had 
said.  She  had,  of  course,  wished  to  sound  him, — whether 
with  or  without  Sidonie's  knowledge  he  could  not  say.  His 
situation  was  unendurable. 

"  A  stop  must  be  put  to  all  this!"  lie  exclaimed  to  himself. 
"  I  must  be  clearly  understood,  and  that  immediately.  I  owe 
it  to  Katrine  and  to  myself,  and  perhaps  to  Fraulein  Sidonie. 

19* 


222  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

As  yet  she  has  not  compromised  herself.  It  is  my  duty  to 
tell  her  the  truth." 

His  resolution  once  taken,  he  hastened  to  fulfil  it.  On 
the  steps  of  the  hotel  he  encountered  Herr  von  Fuchs,  just 
leaving  it. 

"  Are  you  going  up  ?"  the  gentleman  asked. 

Schonrade  replied  that  he  was. 

"  Very  melancholy  mood  to-day, — highly-tragic  ;  have  just 
had  a  profound  discussion  upon  the  subject  of  death." 

"  I  trust  Fraulein  Sidonie  has  no  serious  thoughts  of 
dying?" 

"  There's  no  knowing.  Meanwhile,  she  has  decided  that  I 
must  take  a  box  for  her  for  this  evening  in  the  Friedrichs- 
Wilhelrnstadt  theatre.  They  are  going  to  play  '  La  Belle 
Ilelene.'  Fraulein  Sidonie  finds  burlesque  the  only  endurable 
thing  at  present." 

"  Has  Madame  Feinberg  returned?" 

"  Yes  ;  how  did  you  know  she  had  gone  out?" 

"  Another  time,  my  dear  Fuchs.     Go  get  your  box." 

He  shook  hands  with  him,  entered  the  hotel,  and  sent  up 
his  card.  He  found  Sidonie  alone. 

"  You  have  come  at  List,  then,  faithless  man  !"  she  called  out 
to  him  as  he  entered  the  room,  sitting  erect  as  she  spoke,  and 
throwing  a  book  upon  the  table  at  her  side. 

"  Of  course,  since  I  am  to  offer  congratulations." 

"Congratulations?"  j-he  asked,  bending  a  searching  look 
upon  him,  as  if  to  read  the  thoughts  concealed  beneath  those 
dark  curls,  the  meaning  of  the  smile  that  played  about  his 
mouth. 

"  I  am  sure  you  meant  I  should  congratulate  you  upon  the 
news  you  wrote." 

"  Hush !"  she  interrupted  him,  "  my  mother  must  not 
know."  She  pointed,  as  she  spoke,  to  the  door  into  the  next 
room,  which  was  ajar. 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  223 

"  You  are  free,"  he  continued,  in  a  lower  tone.  "  I  con- 
fess, to  be  frank,  that  the  intelligence  did  not  greatly  surprise 
me ;  I  did  not  think  that  tie  would  last  long." 

"  You  knew  that  my  only  safety  was  in  breaking  it?" 

"  And  yet " 

"Yet?" 

"  One  must  not  deceive  one's  self,  Friiulein  Sidonie.  There 
are  natures  that  are  forever  longing  for  what  is  unattainable, 
— their  only  enjoyment  is  in  desiring  what  they  have  not. 
For  them  the  chain  that  is  lightest  will  be  the  most  easily 
endured." 

She  cast  down  her  eyes  and  bit  her  lip.  "And  such  a 
nature  you  think — I  possess." 

"  I  do  not  know  you  well  enough  to  say, — I  have  no  right 
to  judge.  I  can  only  say  that  my  own  organization  is  so  en- 
tirely different  that  I  must  ask  for  your  congratulations  upon 
my  being  bound  in  the  strongest  of  fetters." 

Sidonie  looked  up  shyly,  and  played  with  the  books  upon 
the  table.  "  You  speak  in  riddles,"  she  said. 

"  But  there  is  no  need  that  you  should  take  the  trouble  to 
solve  them,"  he  continued,  with  as  much  easy  assurance  as  he 
could  assume.  "  In  exchange  for  your  '  I  am  free,'  Fraulein 
Sidonie,  I  have  quite  as  confidential  but  a  very  different  com- 
munication to  make  :  '  I  am  betrothed  !'  " 

"  Betrothed !"  she  exclaimed,  and  her  features  were  con- 
vulsed for  a  moment.  "  You — are — betrothed  ?"  she  repeated, 
slowly,  from  between  her  teeth. 

"  Privately, — to  a  charming  girl  whose  name  I  cannot  give 
you  quite  yet.  I  need  not  tell  you  how  perfectly  happy — 

Sidonie,  with  an  angry  gesture,  forbade  him  to  proceed. 
Her  brow  was  contracted  in  a  frown,  and  she  strove  in  vain 
to  rise.  The  Professor's  kind  heart  was  touched  to  see  her  thus 
agitated, — her  self-control  all  gone, — and  he  could  not  continue 
to  play  his  part  of  unconscious  ease.  He  went  up  to  her  and 


224  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

laid  his  hand  upon  her  arm.  "  Fraulein  Sidonie,"  he  said, 
gently,  "  surely  no  word  or  act  of  mine " 

At  that  moment  Madame  Feinberg  appeared  at  the  door 
of  the  adjoining  room,  her  face  aflame  and  her  eyes  flashing. 
"  Sidonie !"  she  called,  in  a  tone  of  command. 

Sidonie  threw  oil  his  hand  and  arose.  Casting  upon  him  a 
look  of  utter  hatred,  without  speaking  a  single  word,  she  left 
the  room,  and  he  heard  the  door  bolted  behind  her. 

Schbnrade  stood  for  one  moment  as  if  stunned;  he  had 
done  no  wrong,  and  yet  he  felt  guilty  to  have  inspired  even 
the  capricious  affection  of  which  alone  Sidonie  was  capable. 

lie  gravely  left  the  hotel,  to  go  to  his  father,  whom  he 
usually  visited  at  this  hour. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

KATRINE'S  secret  was  not  so  well  kept  as  Lilli  had  prom- 
ised it  should  be.  Of  course  Mr.  Fairfax  was  informed  of  it 
in  the  deepest  confidence ;  what  girl  could  keep  such  a  secret 
from  her  lover  ?  The  Englishman  could  not  quite  approve,  as 
matters  stood,  and  advised  prudence,  but  nevertheless  allowed 
himself  to  be  made  use  of  on  occasion  to  deposit  the  precious 
letters  in  the  post.  He  cordially  liked  the  Professor,  and  was 
willing  to  do  what  he  could  to  serve  him ;  there  was  no 
treachery  to  be  apprehended  from  him.  But  Lilli's  head  was 
too  full  of  her  own  affairs  to  pay  all  the  attention  to  her  friend 
that  she  had  promised.  She  did  not  write  as  regularly  as  at 
first,  and  if  she  was  at  her  desk  when  the  servant  announced 
Mr.  Fairfax  she  would  leave  it  hastily,  without  closing  her 
portfolio,  where,  perhaps,  a  half-finished  letter  of  her  own, 
or  an  enclosure  to  Katrine,  directed  in  the  Professor's  round, 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  225 

scholarly  hand,  would  be  lying  so  as  to  meet  the  eye  of  any 
one  who  happened  to  be  in  the  room.  Not  until  hours  after- 
wards would  she  bethink  herself  of  what  she  had  done. 

Several  times  this  had  happened,  and  chance  had  befriended 
her, — no  discoveries  had  been  made ;  but  upon  one  occasion 
her  mother  came  to  her  room  for  the  third  volume  of  a  novel 
that  she  was  reading,  just  after  Lilli  had  left  her  desk  in  this 
careless  fashion.  Naturally,  her  eyes  fell  upon  the  open  port- 
folio, and,  although  she  was  no  more  curious  than  most  mothers, 
it  occurred  to  her  that  this  would  be  a  good  opportunity  to 
discover  what  the  two  girls  could  find  to  write  such  long  letters 
about.  She  found  Katrine's  latest  letter,  arrived  only  two 
days  before,  a  sealed  envelope  addressed  to  the  Professor,  and 
a  sheet  of  paper,  upon  which  Lilli  had  begun :  "  Dearest 
Katrine, — I  expect  the  Professor  this  evening,  and  will  give 
him  yours,  which  has  just  arrived.  He  is  sure  to  come 
whenever  I  have  something  for  him.  As  he  will  certainly 
bring  a  letter  for  you,  that  I  will  send  to-night,  if  possible ;  I 
write  now,  because  Mr.  Fairfax  will  be  here  in  a  little  while, 
and "  This  was  enough  for  the  Councillor's  wife. 

This  was  the  reason,  then,  why  Schbnrade  had  been  so  fre- 
quent a  guest  at  the  villa,  and  why  he  could  so  seldom  spare 
an  hour  of  late  ;  Katrine  Amberger  had  been  the  magnet  that 
now  attracted  only  his  letters.  This  had  all  been  going  on 
under  her  very  eyes.  They  were  even  privately  betrothed,  and 
they  had  dared  to  make  an  accomplice  of  her  own  daughter. 
It  must  be  confessed  that  she  had  reason  to  blush  when  she  re- 
flected that  Frau  Amberger  might  possibly  suppose  that  she 
had  "  connived  at  such  disgraceful  goings-on."  Thus,  at  least, 
she  explained  her  irritation  to  herself;  but  it  was  none  the 
less  true  that  mortified  vanity  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  it. 
It  was  too  provoking  that  she  should  have  been  so  deceived 
as  to  suppose  she  had  any  influence  in  bringing  the  Professor 
so  frequently  to  the  house,  when  all  the  while  he  had  paid  at- 
K* 


226  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

tendon  to  her  only  that  she  might  be  kept  in  a  good  humour 
and  further  his  plans.  He  had  dared  to  make  a  tool  of  her. 
It  was  unpardonable ! 

She  never  distinctly  admitted  in  thought  that  she  had  not 
dreamed  of  permitting  herself  in  any  way  to  compromise  her 
husband  by  receiving  an  undue  amount  of  attention,  that  she 
had  only  hoped  to  find  some  stimulant  for  her  relaxed  nerves, 
or  that  the  Professor  had  never  by  word  or  look  attempted  to 
establish,  as  she  would  have  liked,  a  more  confidential  intimacy 
with  her.  She  did  not  touch  upon  this  delicate  subject  at  all 
in  her  conference  with  herself;  it  must  be  blotted  from  her 
memory  as  if  it  had  never  existed.  But  even  as  she  withdrew 
the  sting  that  she  had  planted  in  her  flesh,  she  felt  that  the 
wound  was  painful.  She  might  persuade  herself  that  the  pain 
proceeded  from  some  other  cause,  and  take  comfort,  if  she 
could,  in  this  new  form  of  self-deception. 

She  was  not  at  all  doubtful  as  to  what  was  to  be  done.  She 
could  speak  to  Lilli  upon  the  subject  at  any  time ;  but  the 
Professor  must  be  dismissed  as  soon  as  possible.  She  put 
Katrine's  letter  to  him  in  her  pocket,  determined  to  take  care 
that  it  reached  its  destination. 

Lilli  never  thought  of  the  letter  in  her  portfolio  until  the 
Professor  made  his  appearance  in  the  afternoon  at  the  garden 
gate.  She  remembered  also  hearing  her  mother  ask  for  the 
novel,  and  that  she  had  afterwards  seen  it  in  her  hand.  Beg- 
ging her  lover  to  receive  the  guest,  she  ran  with  a  beating 
heart  to  her  room.  There  lay  her  letter  on  the  table,  and  the 
envelope  containing  Katrine's  last  to  the  Professor  was  gone. 
All  search  among  her  papers  was  fruitless.  With  tears  in 
her  eyes  she  returned  to  the  garden. 

Mr.  Fairfax  came  to  meet  her  to  tell  her  that  her  mother 
had  requested  the  guest  to  give  her  a  few  moments'  private 
conversation  in  the  pavilion.  She  could  see  them  there  through 
the  open  door,  and  Frau  Wiesel  was  just  handing  him  a  letter, 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  227 

which  was  undoubtedly  the  missing  one.  "  Oh,  what  have  I 
done  ?"  the  poor  child  said,  turning  away. 

The  lecture  that  was  to  have  been  read  the  Professor  became 
considerably  modified  and  abbreviated  in  his  presence:  The 
sharpest  remarks  were  forgotten  as  he  kissed  Frau  Wiesel's 
hand  as  usual  and  inquired  after  her  health.  True,  she  replied 
that  she  had  felt  quite  unwell  for  several  hours,  and  that  he 
was  to  blame  if  she  should  have  a  return  of  her  nervous  attacks ; 
but  the  words  were  not  sufficiently  severe  to  prevent  him  from 
bewailing  his  involuntary  fault  with  exaggerated  contrition, 
and  offering  his  services  as  physician.  She  had  no  longer  any 
confidence  in  his  method,  she  rejoined,  and  then  proceeded  to 
dwell  upon  the  proofs  of  confidence  he  had  always  received  in 
her  house,  a  confidence  which,  she  regretted  to  say,  had  been 
shamefully  abused.  "  You  will  need  no  further  explanation," 
she  said,  "  than  this  letter,  which  Lilli  was  to  have  given  you, 
and  which  accident  has  placed  in  my  hands." 

She  had  told  him  all.  But  if  she  expected  her  words  to 
produce  an  annihilating  effect  upon  the  Professor,  there  was 
certainly  nothing  of  the  kind  to  be  observed  in  his  countenance. 
On  the  contrary,  it  beamed  with  what  looked  almost  like  mer- 
riment as  he  took  the  letter  from  her  hand,  and,  bowing,  ex- 
pressed his  thanks.  "  I  am  delighted,"  he  continued,  "  that 
chance  has  revealed  to  you  what  I  certainly  disapprove  of  keep- 
ing secret.  You,  madame,  whom  I  have  to  thank  for  so  many 
proofs  of  friendship,  would  have  been  the  confidante  of  my 
choice ;  but  I  owed  it  to  you  to  be  silent.  Katrine  was  your 
guest,  and  you  can  hardly  wonder  that  I  wished  to  save  you 
from  the  alternative  of  either  becoming  our  secret  protectress 
or — forbidding  me  your  house." 

"  But  such  an  unfortunate  occurrence !"  she  exclaimed, 
irritated  still  further  by  his  composure.  "  Good  heavens ! 
when  I  consider  to  what  danger  I  exposed  my  own  child !" 

"  What  danger  ?"  he  asked,  in  surprise  that  was  not  without 


228  .  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

hauteur.  "  Certainly  you  would  not  have  considered  it  unprin- 
cipled if  I  had  come  to  you  with  the  intelligence  that  I  had 
won  your  daughter's  heart,  and  a  request  that  you  would  grant 
me  her  hand ;  else  your  opinion  of  me  must  have  undergone  a 
great  change  lately." 

"Herr  Professor,"  she  replied,  hastily,  "I  never  thought  of 
anything  of  the  kind." 

"Of  course  not,"  he  rejoined,  with  a  smile.  "  Fraulein 
Lilli's  hand  was  already  appropriated,  and  you  could  not  pos- 
sibly regard  me  in  the  light  of  a  suitor.  But  suppose  that 
Katrine  had  been  your  daughter " 

"  Impossible,  Herr  Professor!"  she  interrupted  him.  "The 
question  is  not  how  I,  kindly  disposed  as  I  am  to  you,  might 
have  regarded  the  affair,  but  how  Frau  Amberger  has  regarded 
it.  This  correspondence  is  carried  on  without  her  knowledge, 
through  my  daughter's  connivance.  My  course  is  clear." 

He  opened  his  pocket-book,  put  in  it  Katrine's  enclosure, 
and  took  from  it  a  letter  of  the  same  size.  "  May  I  pray 
you,  madame,"  he  said,  offering  it  to  her,  "  to  dispose  of  this 
contraband  article  as  if  chance  had  also  thrown  it  in  your 
way?" 

"  Do  you  suppose,  Herr  Professor " 

"  Certainly  not  that  you  will  send  this  letter  to  Katrine,  as 
Fraulein  Lilli  has  done  hitherto.  Of  course  not.  But  I  beg 
you  to  betray  our  love-affair.  If  you  will  send  this  letter  to 
Frau  Amberger,  telling  her  at  the  same  time  of  your  indigna- 
tion at  discovering  that  such  secret  transactions  have  been 
carried  on  in  your  house,  she  can  have  not  the  smallest  doubt 
of  your  innocence.  Perhaps  there  may  be  a  little  room  left 
on  the  margin  of  your  letter  to  say  what  you  may  be  kind 
enough  to  state  in  conclusion,  that  Xaver  Schonrade  is,  after 
all,  a  well-meaning  fellow,  and  that  assuredly  he  cannot  be 
blamed  for  losing  his  heart  to  such  a  girl  as  Katharina  Am- 
berger." 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  229 

This  was  not  the  way  to  appease  the  Councillor's  wife. 
"  You  seem  to  find  the  matter  very  amusing,"  she  replied, 
tartly.  "  I  regret  not  being  able  to  share  your  enjoyment  of 
the  jest." 

He  put  the  letter  in  his  pocket-book  again,  and  arose.  "  In 
the  course  of  a  few  weeks,"  he  said,  gravely,  "  I  hope  to  send 
you  the  announcement  of  a  betrothal  which  there  will  be  no 
reason  for  keeping  secret.  Until  then " 

"  I  suppose  we  can  scarcely  hope  for  the  pleasure  of  a 
visit  from  you,"  she  continued  his  sentence,  "  since  there  can 
no  longer  be  any  interchange  of  letters  here  with  Friiulein 
Katharina  Amberger." 

He  replied  to  her  by  a  look  that  she  could  not  meet.  Then 
he  seemed  to  regret  it,  and,  offering  her  his  hand,  he  said,  in 
his  former  gay  tone,  "  Let  us  part  friends,  madame." 

She  turned  away  sulkily.  He  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
bowed  low,  and  took  his  leave.  "  Can  she  feel  personally 
aggrieved?"  he  asked  himself. 

Nevertheless,  he  was  glad  that  all  secrecy  was  done  away 
with.  Of  course  he  could  not  expect  the  irritated  lady  to 
be  silent. 

No,  indeed !  She  was  too  indignant  not  to  take  advantage 
of  the  favourable  opportunity  that  occurred  the  next  morn- 
ing. Madame  Feinberg  and  Sidonie  paid  her  a  visit,  the  aim 
of  which  was  soon  apparent.  "  Have  you  heard  the  latest 
news,  my  dear  Frau  Wiesel  ?' '  the  mother  asked.  "  Professor 
ScKonrade — ha  !  ha  !  ha  ! " 

"  Is  betrothed,"  the  Councillor's  wife  hastily  concluded,  that 
she  might  be  beforehand  with  her  friend. 

"  And  privatel}T."  Sidonie  added.  "A  most  juvenile  affair  !" 

"  You  are  so  intimate  with  him,  my  dear,"  Madame  Fein- 
berg  went  on,  "  that  of  course  you  know  to  whom, — or  per- 
haps even  to  you  he  has " 

"  One  can't  prevent  people  of  that  sort  from  pretending  to 
20 


230  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

intimacy,"  the  Councillor's  wife  observed.  "  But,  really,  we 
ought  to  pity  dear  Frau  Amberger " 

"  Frau  Amberger  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed.  She  must  be  greatly  vexed  to  find  her 
Katrine  engage  herself  in  such  a  low  affair  in  a  strange  house, 

like  some  common  governess,  or But  what  is  the  matter, 

Friiulein  Sidonie  ?  You  are  very  pale." 

"  Oh,  nothing,  nothing,"  Sidonie  declared,  leaning  back  in 
her  arm-chair  ;  "  the  day  is  so  sultry,  and  I  awoke  this  morn- 
ing with  a  headache." 

"  Indeed  she  did,"  her  mother  added,  little  disposed  to 
continue  the  subject  of  conversation  after  exchanging  glances 
with  her  daughter.  Katharina  Amberger  betrothed  to  the 
Professor !  Here  was  a  revelation  indeed,  that  must  be  dis- 
cussed in  private  conference. 

Sidonie's  indisposition  shortened  their  visit.  That  same 
day  a  long  letter  to  Herr  Ignaz  Feinberg  was  dispatched  from 
their  hotel. 

Katrine  wrote  from  Munich.  It  was  probable,  she  said, 
that  her  mother,  instead  of  going  to  Switzerland  as  she  had 
intended,  would  cross  the  Brenner  to  Italy.  Philip  seemed  to 
have  taken  up  his  abode  in  Florence, — no  one  could  understand 
why  from  his  letters.  This  was  what  had  caused  their  journey 
to  be  extended.  In  a  postscript  she  said,  "  Indeed  I  should 
not  love  you  less,  dearest  Xaver,  if  you  would  let  this  letter 
be  my  last  until  we  have  no  more  need  for  secrecy.  I  suffer 
more  than  I  can  tell  you  in  behaving  with  a  want  of  candour 
to  my  mother,  to  whom,  indeed,  I  have  declared  that  I  shall 
love  you  for  ever  and  ever,  but  who  has  no  idea  that  I  tell 
you  the  same  thing  almost  every  day.  Do  we  need  to  write 
to  each  other?  Consider,  and  decide." 

This  was  all  as  it  should  be.  He  knew  that  Lilli  would  tell 
her  of  what  had  occurred ;  but  he  must  himself  answer  her 
request  and  set  her  mind  at  ease.  One  way  was  left  in  which 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  231 

he  could  do  this.  Before  Frau  Barbara  and  her  daughter 
should  arrive  in  Florence  be  must  have  a  partisan  there.  The 
time  had  come  to  apprise  Philip  Amberger  of  his  hopes,  and 
there  was  no  danger  that  a  letter  enclosed  to  him  for  Katrine 
would  not  reach  its  destination. 

And  it  was  time,  too,  to  have  no  reserve  with  his  father. 
He  longed  to  tell  him  everything ;  and  he  took  advantage  of 
the  first  time  they  were  alone  together  to  do  so. 

The  Count  was  much  moved  by  this  mark  of  his  son's  con- 
fidence. "  At  last  you  know  that  you  have  a  father,"  he  said, 
shaking  him  cordially  by  both  hands.  "  Of  course  you  have 
my  blessing,  which  I  trust  Heaven  will  ratify.  But  there 
seem  to  be  obstacles  in  the  way  which  daunt  even  a  sage 
Professor.  Let  us  consult  together,  my  boy,  as  to  what  is  to 
be  done." 

"  I  have  full  faith  that  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg,  with 
whom  I  should  else  have  very  little  to  do,  will  meet  with  a 
favourable  reception  from  Frau  Barbara  Amberger,"  Xaver 
observed,  "  and  the  poverty  of  the  Freiherr  is  of  very  little 
consequence.  But  Moritz  will  get  into  terrible  trouble  on 
my  account."  He  then  told  his  father  all  the  circumstances 
of  the  case,  and  concluded,  "  Now,  my  entire  possessions  as 
Freiherr  consist  of  the  Honeburg,  since  you  do  not  recall 
your  gift,  and,  unfortunately,  it  is  no  longer  strong  enough  to 
stand  a  siege  from  poor  Moritz's  creditors,  if  the  Feinbergs 
determine  to  ruin  him." 

The  Count  rubbed  his  forehead.  "Did  I  tell  you,"  he  said, 
after  some  reflection,  "that  there  are  contingencies  in  case  of 
which  the  Honeburg  may  come  to  be  very  valuable  ?  Land  is 
needed  near  the  town  for  a  railway-terminus,  for  store-houses 
and  workshops,  and  what  remains  will  be  enhanced  in  value 
by  the  vicinity  of  these  buildings.  First  of  all,  a  wide  and 
convenient  road  to  and  from  the  town  must  be  arranged ;  and 
this  shall  be  Moritz  Amberger's  care.  Let  him  privately  buy 


232  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

up  all  the  houses  on  the  right  side  of  the  narrow  street  leading 
to  the  green  gate;  if  he  conducts  the  purchase  with  caution, 
their  price  will  not  be  high.  The  old  wall  can  be  destroyed 
to  fill  up  the  ditch  and  make  a  road  which  will  replace  the 
bridge,  no  longer  needed  as  a  defence  against  the  Freiherrs 
von  Honeburg.  This  all  seems  perfectly  feasible.  Amberger 
can  widen  the  street,  and  build  in  addition  a  row  of  shops, 
which  will  bring  an  excellent  rent;  for,  as  you  may  recollect, 
the  gables  of  the  buildings  there  front  on  the  street,  and  the 
houses  are  very  deep.  As  for  the  necessary  capital,  my  banker 
is  yours,  and  my  credit  too,  if  you  require  it.  This  is  not 
enough.  Nothing  that  I  can  see  hinders  us  from  undertaking 
the  new  railway  ourselves.  Of  course  without  the  Fein- 
bergs.  There  are  moneyed  men  enough  willing  to  take  part 
in  such  a  project  as  soon  as  the  way  is  made  plain  for  them. 
It  is  time  that  men  of  honour  and  family  interested  them- 
selves in  these  projects  for  the  common  good.  The  railway  is 
an  acknowledged  necessity.  Let  us  build  it." 

Xaver  listened  to  his  father  with  eager  attention,  and  at 
the  same  time  with  the  greatest  surprise.  "  I  am  astonished," 
he  said,  "  to  discover  a  financial  genius  in  Count  von  Glei- 
chenau.  How  in  the  world  did  this  plan,  which  really  looks 
as  if  it  could  be  carried  out,  occur  to  you  ?" 

The  Count  smiled.  "  I  will  be  honest,"  he  replied,  "  and 
confess  that  it  is  not  the  product  of  my  own  brain,  and  that 
for  this  very  reason  I  am  disposed  to  think  extremely  well  of  it. 
The  projected  railway,  which  it  appears  is  important  not  only 
in  a  mercantile  but  also  in  a  political  point  of  view,  has  a 
staunch  advocate  in  an  influential  member  of  the  government, 
who  is  an  intimate  friend  of  mine.  His  home  is  in  that  part 
of  the  country  through  which  the  road  is  to  pass ;  he  has 
various  relatives  and  connections  there,  and  is  not  only  inter- 
ested in  the  undertaking,  but  also  understands  and  is  possessed 
of  ways  and  means  for  promoting  it.  He  is  a  capital  financier, 


THE   GREEN  GATE,  233 

— an  indispensable  qualification  for  success, — and  thoroughly 
honest.  When  he  was  applied  to  lately  by  a  committee  from 
certain  merchants  contemplating  this  undertaking,  he  gave  the 
matter  his  earnest  attention,  and  refused  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  it,  because  he  saw  clearly  that  the  projectors  were 
working  solely  for  their  own  advantage.  He  came  to  me  after- 
wards and  tried  to  induce  me  to  take  the  matter  in  hand  with 
several  other  moneyed  men,  giving  me  the  outlines  of  his  plan, 
which  certainly  is  excellent.  At  that  time,  depressed  as  I  was, 
I  took  no  interest  in  it,  and  declined  all  his  offers.  Now  I  am 
another  man.  Say  the  word,  and  I  will  ask  my  friend  to 
dinner  to-morrow,  present  you  to  him,  and  he  will  enter  into 
all  the  details  with  you." 

Xaver  gratefully  acquiesced.  His  only  misgiving  was 
whether  it  would  be  possible  to  find  the  capital  necessary  for 
so  large  an  undertaking.  But  the  Count  convinced  him  that 
it  would  be  entirely  possible.  "  There  is  your  acquaintance 
Councillor  Wiesel,"  he  said,  "a  cautious  man,  who  refused 
to  be  drawn  into  Feinberg's  net,  but  who  is  very  well  inclined 
towards  any  speculation  patronized  by  the  government.  In 
the  same  way  we  could  command  a  large  amount  of  English 
capital.  There  is  a  London  firm,  '  Fairfax  &  King,'  if  I 
remember  rightly " 

"Fairfax?"  the  Professor  interrupted  him, — "that  is  the 
name  of  the  Councillor's  future  son-in-law.  He  is  a  friend 
of  mine." 

"  So  much  the  better;  our  negotiations  with  them  will  be  all 
the  easier.  We  have  enemies  in  the  distance,  but  friends  near 
at  hand.  I  am  ready  to  give  you  my  name,  which  has  some 
weight  in  the  stock-market.  To-morrow,  then,  the  triumvirate 
shall  be  inaugurated." 

And  so  it  was.  The  Count's  friend,  a  Privy  Councillor, 
proved  to  be  as  wise  and  as  willing  as  the  Count  had  described 
him.  The  first  thing  to  be  done,  he  said,  was  to  obtain  pos- 

20* 


234  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

session  of  all  the  old  town-buildings  that  must  be  cleared 
away  to  insure  the  government  a  free  broad  road  for  traffic, 
and,  besides,  of  the  green  gate,  the  bridge  just  beyond  it,  a 
part  of  the  ditch,  and  the  meadow  between  it  and  the  Hone- 
burg.  The  tile-kiln  beyond  the  gate  must  also  be  purchased, 
to  give  entire  control  over  a  large  extent  of  land.  Of  course 
all  this  property  could  be  procured  upon  moderate  terms  only 
by  keeping  secret  for  the  present  the  view  with  which  it 
was  purchased.  In  the  mean  while,  he  would  so  arrange 
matters  that  when  everything  was  thus  prepared,  the  charter 
should  be  forthcoming  without  delay.  He  advised  that  Xaver 
should  not  yet  appear  as  Freiherr  of  Honeburg,  who  should 
empower  Professor  Schonrade  to  act  for  him,  which  would 
enable  him  to  proceed  at  once  to  the  purchase  of  the  tile- 
kiln  and  the  land  beyond  the  gate  in  the  interest  of  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  ruin.  A  report  could  be  put  in  circulation  as 
to  the  Freiherr's  design  to  erect  a  factory  upon  his  estate, 
which  would  satisfy  any  curiosity  that  might  be  excited.  In 
the  town  Moritz  Amberger  must  attend  to  matters,  and  play 
into  his  friend's  hands. 

There  were  long  and  repeated  conferences  before  Schonrade 
was  fully  instructed.  Then  he  provided  himself  with  all  the 
necessary  documents,  and  took  his  departure  from  Berlin. 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  235 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

SINCE  Frau  Barbara's  departure  the  windows  in  the  upper 
stories  of  the  Amberger  mansion  had  been  closed.  Moritz 
had  occupied  exclusively  his  own  apartments,  and  was  much 
more  frequently  to  be  found  in  his  counting-room  than  had 
been  his  custom  of  late.  Any  one  seeing  him  at  work  among 
his  ledgers  or  walking  about  on  'Change  would  have  supposed 
him  ten  years  older  than  he  really  was,  he  had  become  so  much 
graver  and  quieter.  He  himself  knew  well  enough  the  cause  of 
this  change.  Since  his  talk  with  the  Professor  his  mind  had 
dwelt  constantly  upon  the  words  then  spoken.  Once  having 
been  face  to  face  with  the  truth,  he  could  no  longer  veil  it 
from  his  eyes.  In  Sidonie's  absence  he  experienced  a  sense 
of  relief,  more  freedom  to  collect  his  thoughts  and  frame  his 
resolves.  He  knew  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the 
Professor,  and  if  Sidonie  should,  by  any  chance,  be  taught  a 
lesson  in  self-control  by  some  humiliating  repulse,  it  would  be 
all  the  better  for  himself.  But  there  were  moments  in  which 
he  doubted  whether  she  would  ever  return  to  him;  and  these 
were  his  happiest.  He  acknowledged  frankly  that  he  had  no 
genuine  pleasure  or  satisfaction  in  the  life  she  delighted  to 
lead,  that  the  butterfly  existence  of  a  man  of  her  world  was 
abhorrent  to  him,  that  his  tastes  were  for  simple  domestic 
pleasures,  and  he  could  have  sighed  like  a  sick  girl  at  the 
emptiness  and  loneliness  of  his  heart. 

He  applied  himself  diligently  to  his  neglected  business, 
conducted  a  part  of  his  correspondence  himself,  reviewed  his 
ledgers,  and  became  convinced  that  his  entanglements  with  the 
Feinbergs  were  even  more  hopeless  than  he  had  given  t'he 
Professor  to  understand.  At  the  same  time  he  discovered 


236  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

that  his  book-keeper  and  chief  clerk  had  been  acting  far  more 
in  the  interest  of  the  Feinbergs  than  in  that  of  his  master, — 
perhaps  influenced  by  secret  inducements.  He  could  not  dismiss 
him  immediately,  but  he  watched  him  narrowly,  and  threw  less 
responsibility  upon  him.  Feinberg  perceived  the  change,  and 
gave  him  to  understand  that  he  was  of  very  little  use  to  him, 
and  that  it  would  not  cost  him  much  to  dissolve  all  business 
connection  with  the  house  of  Amberger. 

Sidonie's  letter  breaking  their  engagement  decided  matters. 
It  increased  his  anxiety,  but  the  die  was  cast,  and  he  knew 
certainly  what  he  had  to  deal  with.  To  be  sure,  Sidonie's 
letter  was  full  of  diplomatic  sentences,  designed  to  leave  the 
door  open  for  a  change  of  mind ;  she  spoke  of  doubts  which 
had  arisen  within  her  as  to  whether  they  were  fitted  to  find 
happiness  together,  said  that  she  needed  more  time  for  reflec- 
tion, and  that  she  must  be  allowed  freedom  to  follow  the  im- 
pulse of  her  soul.  This  meant  that  he  was  to  consider  himself 
still  bound,  but  that  she  was  entirely  free  from  blame  if  she 
chose  to  withdraw  from  her  engagement.  The  blood  rushed 
to  his  cheek  as  he  read,  and  he  replied  immediately  and  briefly 
that  he  considered  their  engagement  ended. 

He  of  course  expected  that  Ignaz  Feinberg  would  at 
once  announce  to  him  the  dissolution  of  their  business  con- 
nection ;  but  he  could  see  no  change  in  the  man's  behaviour 
towards  him.  Moritz  could  not  tell  whether  the  prudent  man 
of  business  judged  it  best  to  ignore  the  change  of  affairs, 
or  whether  he  was  without  information  from  his  wife  and 
daughter.  His  own  situation  meanwhile  was  a  most  anxious 
one ;  and  his  thoughts  would  have  been  far  more  gloomy  if 
just  at  present  they  had  not  been  occupied  in  a  way  that  drove 
business  from  his  head  at  times. 

The  day  that  he  dispatched  his  final  letter  to  Sidonie,  two 
strangers  from  the  country  desired  to  see  him.  He  supposed 
that  they  wished  to  deposit  their  savings  iu  his  bank,  and  re- 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  237 

ferred  them  to  his  book-keeper,  but  they  sent  in  word  to  his 
office  that  they  wished  to  speak  to  the  gentleman  himself.  By 
no  means  in  the  best  of  humours,  he  consented  to  receive  them. 

His  visitors,  an  elderly  woman  and  a  young  girl,  were  entire 
strangers  to  him.  Their  dress  was  plain,  but  in  good  taste, 
and  the  servant  was  evidently  in  doubt  whether  to  designate 
them  as  "ladies"  or  "  persons  "  The  elder  introduced  herself 
as  the  widow  Vogelstein.  She,  with  her  daughter  Lena,  had 
business  in  the  town,  and  desired  to  deliver  into  his  own  hands 
a  letter  which  she  had  for  him  from  Italy.  She  laid  a  certain 
emphasis  upon  the  word  Italy,  as  if  he  could  see  from  it  how 
important  the  letter  was. 

Moritz  recognized  his  brother's  handwriting  on  the  envelope. 
"Are  you  in  communication  with  my  brother?"  he  asked, 
surprised  both  at  their  errand  and  at  the  great  beauty  of 
the  girl.  Could  Philip  have  any  private  love-affair  in  this 
direction  ?  If  so,  he  certainly  had  shown  an  immense  deal 
of  taste. 

"  We  do  not  know  Herr  Amberger,"  the  woman  replied, 
"  but  he  is  staying  in  Florence  with  relatives  of  ours,  who 
have  enclosed  to  us  this  letter  from  him  to  you,  with  the 
request  that  we  would  deliver  it  into  your  own  hands.  My 
husband's  elder  brother  left  home  very  young  and  married  m 
Italy,  in  Florence,  where  he  now  keeps  an  inn  and  seems  to 
be  very  well-to-do  in  the  world.  It  chanced  that  Herr  Philip 
Amberger  took  lodgings  there,  and,  finding  that  his  host  came 
from  the  same  part  of  Germany,  they  were  soon  very  friendly 
together, — and — I  think  the  letter  will  tell  you  all  there  is  left 
to  tell." 

"  My  grandfather  would  have  brought  it  himself,"  Lena 
added,  "but  he  does  not  like  to  come  to  the  town;  and,  be- 
sides, he  objected  because " 

"  Because  he  did  not  know  how  the  family  might  receive 
the  news,"  Frau  Vogelstein  completed  the  sentence.  "My 


238  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

brother-in-law  has  given  us  some  hints  that  cannot  be  mis- 
understood. He  has  a  daughter — 

"  Ah  !  And  this  daughter ?"  Moritz  exclaimed,  a  sus- 
picion suddenly  dawning  upon  his  mind  of  the  cause  that  kept 
Philip  so  long  in  Florence. 

"  This  daughter,  judging  from  her  photograph,"  Lena  said, 
11  must  be  exquisitely  beautiful,  and  her  father  is  a  man  of 
means.  There  would  be  nothing  so  very  strange '' 

"  Hush,  hush,  Lena  !"  her  mother  interrupted  her.  "  There 
are  two  opinions  upon  that  subject.  There  were  once  wealthy 
merchants  in  this  town  who  bore  the  name  of  Vogelstein  and 
were  held  in  high  honour,  sitting  at  the  council-board,  as  your 
grandfather  has  told  you,  with  the  Ambergers.  But  times 
are  changed, — very  much  changed ;  we  earn  our  living  now 
by  gardening,  and  no  one  cares  whether  we  live  or  die." 

"  That  cannot  make  us  anything  but  what  we  really  are, 
mother,"  said  the  girl,  standing  proudly  erect. 

This  pleased  the  young  merchant,  whose  admiration  of  in- 
dependence of  spirit  was  just  now  very  great.  "  Excuse  me 
if  I  read  my  letter,"  he  said,  courteously. 

"  Pray  do  so,"  the  widow  replied,  "  that  we  may  know  what 
to  write  to  Florence." 

Moritz,  really  curious,  opened  the  letter,  which,  although 
scarcely  a  page  in  length,  was  not  easily  dispatched.  The 
contents  required  to  be  well  weighed  before  they  were  pro- 
nounced upon.  At  the  first  few  lines  the  reader's  face  ex- 
panded into  a  smile,  and  he  muttered  between  his  teeth,  "  I 
thought  so  ;"  then  he  grew  very  grave  ;  and  when  he  had  con- 
cluded he  said,  with  an  air  of  embarrassment,  "  My  brother 
tells  me  that  he  is  formally  betrothed, — betrothed  to  Signora 
Lucia  Uccello,  in  Florence." 

"  Uccello  and  Vogel  are  the  same  name,"  the  girl  remarked, 
observing  him  narrowly.  "  Vogel  or  Vogelstein,  it  could  make 
very  little  difference  in  Italy." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  239 

Moritz  bowed.  "  Signora  Lucia  is  your  cousin,  Fraulein 
Vogelstein ;  I  comprehend  it  perfectly,  and  I  should  express 
my  pleasure  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  so  near  a  relative 
of  my  brother's  choice,  if  I  only  knew " 

Lena  looked  at  him  with  so  much  expectancy  in  her  large 
eyes  that  involuntarily  his  own  fell  before  her.  "  If  I  knew," 
he  went  on,  in  a  lower  tone,  "  what  impression  this  news  will 
make  upon  our  mother,  who  is  absent  from  home,  travelling, 
You  may  imagine,"  and  he  turned  to  Frau  Vogelstein,  "  that 
this  engagement  will  take  her  by  surprise,  and  that  she  will 
hardly  bestow  her  approval  upon  it  until  she  has  more  exact 
information  concerning  it." 

"  Of  course,"  the  widow  assented  ;  "  it  would  perhaps  have 
been  better  if  he  had  asked  his  mother's  permission  before 
speaking  to  Lucia, — any  dissension  in  his  family  might  then 
have  been  avoided." 

"  That  would  hardly  have  been  the  part  of  a  man,"  Lena 
declared,  decidedly.  "  Lucia  could  not  have  smiled  upon  a 
lover  who  asked  his  mother  for  permission  to  woo." 

Frau  Vogelstein,  who  preserved  all  through  the  interview 
the  most  perfect  placidity  of  demeanour,  cast  a  reproachful 
glance  at  her  daughter.  "  You  must  excuse  her,"  she  said. 
"  Lena  is  a  country-girl,  and  has  not  learned  to  suppress  her 
opinions.  But  I  know  more  of  the  world,  and  I  am  not  at 
all  surprised  that  your  first  thought  is  of  your  mother,  since 
your  father  is  not  living.  We  ourselves  hardly  know  our 
Italian  relatives ;  but  if  my  brother-in-law  at  all  resembles  hb 
father  and  brother,  he  must  be  an  excellent  man,  worthy  of 
all  confidence." 

"And  Frau  Amberger,"  the  girl  added,  "must  know  her 
son  well  enough  to  feel  sure  that  he  could  not  choose  un- 
worthily." 

"  You  are  right,  Fraulein  Vogelstein,"  said  Moritz ;  "  it 
should  be  so.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  have  no  desire  to 


240  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

dictate  to  my  brother.  He  writes  me  that  the  affair  is  en- 
tirely settled,  and  I  know  how  firm  he  is  after  he  has  decided 
upon  a  course  of  action.  I  hope  he  may  find  all  the  hap- 
piness in  life  that  he  anticipates.  You  must  not  take  it  ill 
of  me  that  as  a  merchant  I  hoped  he  might  choose  a  rich 
wife." 

"It  seems  to  me  Herr  Philip  Amberger  is  rich  enough," 
Lena  remarked,  in  a  tone  of  wonder,  "  to  be  indifferent  to 
money  considerations." 

Moritz  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  the  corners  of  his  mouth 
twitched  slightly.  "  Supposing  that  to  be  the  case,"  he  said, 
after  a  pause, "  a  merchant — and  Philip  is  a  merchant,  although 
perhaps  only  in  name — is  seldom  so  sure  of  his  property  that 
he  may  not  lose  it  in  a  day."  He  seemed  considering  whether 
he  might  or  ought  to  say  more.  Then  he  held  out  his  hand 
to  Frau  Vogelstein,  and  made  a  friendly  inclination  towards 
the  young  girl,  whose  cheeks  glowed  with  earnestness.  "  It 
might  not  signify  much,  perhaps,"  he  continued,  "  if  some- 
thing of  the  kind  did  happen,  for  Philip  is  a  philosopher, 
and  could,  I  believe,  live  as  contentedly  as  Diogenes  in  a  tub. 
But  we  must  consider  whether  the  fair  Lucia  would  be  equally 
willing  to  resign  the  adornments  of  life." 

He  then  asked  where  the  gardener  Vogelstein  lived,  and 
was  not  a  little  astonished  to  hear  that  it  was  in  the  Hone- 
burg  ruins.  "  Can  women  live  in  that  old  robbers'  nest  ?"  he 
asked,  gaily.  "  Diogenes'  tub  is  a  comfortable  villa  in  com- 
parison. I  imagined  that  old  heap  of  stones  too  dreary  even 
fir  owls,  and  here  it  contains  a  treasure " 

Frau  Vogelstein  sighed,  and  Lena  looked  at  him  so  gravely 
.that  he  could  not  continue  in  this  tone  of  easy  gallantry.  "  I 
really  pity  you,"  he  said,  with  an  answering  sigh. 

"  We  are  not  at  all  to  be  pitied,"  the  girl  rejoined.  "  A 
house  like  this  in  the  town  seems  to  me  a  heap  of  stones. 
One  may  live  and  breathe  in  it,  but  where  is  the  comfort  and 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  241 

retirement  that  we  enjoy  in  our  hiding-place,  where  we  allow 
no  one  to  intrude  ?" 

"  No  one  ?"  asked  Moritz,  as  the  idea  occurred  to  him  that 
he  should  greatly  like  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  ruinous  old  castle. 

'*  No  one  !"  the  girl  replied,  contracting  her  eyebrows,  while 
her  mouth  laughed  archly.  "  We  have  a  very  savage  watch- 
dog, and  no  one  who  does  not  know  how  to  propitiate  him 
dares  approach  the  place." 

"  Lena  !"  Frau  Vogelstein  admonished  her. 

"  Has  no  one  succeeded  in  doing  so  ?"  Moritz  eagerly  asked, 
more  and  more  interested  in  his  conversation  with  the  fair 
chatelaine. 

"  A  little  while  ago,  a  Professor,"  she  replied,  after  a  mo- 
ment's reflection  ;  "  but  he  was  a  very  learned  man." 

"  Not  Professor  Schonrade  ?"  he  asked,  with  a  laugh. 

She  nodded. 

"  Did  even  the  savage  dog  respect  him  ?"  he  went  on.  "  Oh, 
I  know  him,  and  I  shall  beg  him  to  teach  me  his  magic 
formula." 

"  It  cannot  be  taught." 

"  You  must  not  let  the  Professor  cast  a  glamour  over  you." 

"  Herr  Amberger  !"    Lena  arose  as  she  spoke. 

"  Be  careful ;  he  has  already  lost  his  heart." 

The  girl  threw  back  her  head  haughtily.  "  That  is  his  own 
affair." 

"  Unfortunately,  mine  too,"  sighed  Moritz.  "  He  loves 
my  sister."  He  was  startled  at  this  sudden  confession  of  his, 
but  he  said  it  involuntarily,  feeling  that  he  must,  he  knew 
not  why. 

"  Your  sister  ?"  Lena  asked,  evidently  surprised  and  pleased. 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  secret,"  he  replied,  lightly  touching  his  lips 
with  his  finger.  "  How  could  I  be  so  indiscreet?  However, 
it  is  safe  with  you."  He  was  glad  to  see  that  she  did  not 
change  colour. 

L  21 


242  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"Then  you  know  too  who  he  really  is?"  she  asked. 

"  Who  he  is  ?  AVhy,  Professor  Xaver  Schonrade.  Who 
should  he  be  ?" 

"  I  keep  my  secrets  better,"  she  rejoined.  "  Come,  mother 
dear,  our  errand  is  concluded ;  we  will  not  disturb  Herr  Am- 
berger  further." 

Frau  Vogelstein  took  a  formal  leave,  while  her  daughter 
hurried  away.  "  We  shall  soon  meet  again,"  Moritz  said,  as 
he  accompanied  them  to  the  door. 

He  seemed  to  be  dreaming.  Had  Philip's  letter  not  lain 
open  upon  his  desk,  he  might  have  thought  he  had  been 
sleeping.  Now  that  he  was  alone  he  read  it  again,  and  mado 
no  effort  to  control  his  sentiments.  His  first  impression  had 
been  that  Philip  had  acted  very  foolishly,  and  this  feeling  now 
returned  upon  him  in  full  force.  He  thought  his  brother  a 
thoroughly  impractical  man ;  he  knew  how  averse  he  was  to 
ladies'  society,  and  he  had  believed  firmly  that  he  never  would 
be  married ;  and  now,  in  his  travels,  in  an  inn,  he  had  evi- 
dently been  allured  by  the  arts  of  some  vulgar  coquette,  and 
induced  to  contract  a  most  unsuitable  alliance, — it  must  be  so. 
Perhaps  he  had  resolved  not  to  return  home,  intending  to  live 
upon  his  income  in  Florence,  believing  himself  a  rich  man, 
and  making  his  arrangements  accordingly.  So  it  would  seem 
from  his  recent  demands  for  large  sums  of  money  !  And  all 
this  to  happen  just  when  his  own  engagement  to  Sidonie 
was  dissolved,  his  hopes  of  a  wealthy  marriage  thus  suf- 
fering woeful  shipwreck  ;  while  his  business  might  shortly 
receive  a  shock  the  consequences  of  which  could  not  be 
estimated  !  Scarcely  an  hour  had  elapsed  since  he  had  dis- 
patched his  note  to  Sidonie,  and  he  was  already  considering 
whether  he  had  any  ri;j,ht  to  think  of  himself  and  wish  for 
freedom. 

And  what  a  strange  dispensation  it  was  by  which  the  man 
whose  daughter  Philip  had  learned  to  know  and  to  love  hun- 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  243 

dreds  of  miles  from  here  should  have  a  father  in  this  very 
place,  about  whom  he  seemed  to  have  troubled  himself  little 
until  this  most  unfortunate  time  for  reviving  his  interest !  He 
remembered  to  have  heard  that  an  old  gardener  lived  in  the 
Honeburg  ruin,  leading  the  life  of  a  hermit  there ;  nay,  he 
even  seemed  to  recollect  visiting  the  place  as  a  boy  with  some 
school-fellows  and  being  frightened  away  by  the  watch-dog.  It 
was  many  years  since,  and  these  memories  might  have  faded 
entirely  but  for  this  recent  event.  Old  Vogelstein  might  be 
the  best  of  men ;  but  what  would  his  mother  say  ?  Philip 
should  have  acted  more  considerately  towards  her,  and  begged 
Signer  Uccello  to  continue  to  neglect  his  family.  But  it  was 
just  like  Philip  to  act  as  he  had  done,  with  an  entire  disre- 
gard of  all  annoyances  of  this  kind. 

Thus  clouds  were  rising  all  around  his  horizon ;  the  only 
question  was  how  soon  the  storm  would  burst  upon  him  from 
all  sides. 

In  the  anxious  days  that  ensued,  it  was  strange  that  the  beau- 
tiful country-girl  constantly  occupied  his  thoughts.  Beside 
her,  the  free,  healthy  child  of  nature,  Sidonie  seemed  like  some 
painted  overdressed  doll.  He  could  scarcely  see  how  he  had 
ever  thought  a  union  with  such  a  heartless  coquette  possible. 
He  certainly  owed  it  to  his  brother  Philip  to  return  the  visit 
that  had  been  paid  him,  and,  accordingly,  one  afternoon  he 
ordered  his  horse  and  took  his  way  towards  the  Honeburg. 
Since  Sidonie's  departure,  the  animal  had  never  left  the  stable  ; 
it  was  only  with  an  idea  of  pleasing  her  that  he  had  played 
the  enthusiastic  horseman ;  and  now  he  would  rather  have 
driven  out  to  the  ruin  but  that  he  feared  there  was  no  car- 
riage-road thither,  and  he  did  not  like  to  let  his  people  know 
where  he  was  going.  For  the  same  reason  he  did  not  take  the 
shortest  way,  through  the  green  gate,  but  by  a  distant  bridge 
and  a  circuitous  route  to  the  tile-kiln.  His  steed  was  very 
lively,  and  needed  a  firm  hand  upon  the  bit, — all  the  more 


244  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

necessary  as  there  was  scarcely  a  bridle-path  on  the  latter  part 
of  his  way. 

He  arrived  at  the  ditch  quite  safely,  but  judged  it  best  to 
dismount  here  and  lead  his  horse,  who  pricked  his  ears  sus- 
piciously, across  it  and  along  the  hedge  bounding  the  garden 
of  the  ruin.  The  dog,  who  must  have  heard  him,  began  to 
bark,  and  sprang  up  against  the  wall.  Instantly  a  voice 
that  he  knew  called  out  from  among  the  trees,  "  Who  is 
there  ?" 

He  turned  towards  the  direction  whence  it  came.  Lena 
started  upon  seeing  a  man  and  horse  so  near  her,  but  laughed 
gaily  when  she  recognized  him.  A  white  handkerchief  was 
wrapped  around  her  head,  and  she  had  in  her  hand  a  hoe,  with 
which  she  had  just  been  weeding  the  beds. 

"  How  you  startled  me !"  she  said,  while  he  had  some  ado 
to  control  his  horse,  terrified  by  her  white  kerchief  and  the 
barking  of  the  dog. 

He  excused  himself  as  well  as  he  could,  but  she  still  affected 
displeasure.  "  What  has  such  a  fine  gentleman  from  town  to 
do  with  an  old  owls' -nest  like  this  ?  Did  I  not  tell  you  that 
no  one  was  admitted  here  ?"  « 

"  Yes ;  and  it  was  just  that  which  provoked  me  to  try  whether 
you  would  not  let  me  be  a  fortunate  exception.  It  is  well 
that  I  have  surprised  you  here,  giving  you  no  time  to  barricade 
yourself  in  the  castle." 

"  We  have  no  desire  to  do  anything  so  rude,"  she  replied, 
approaching  the  horse  and  patting  him  on  the  neck.  "  And 
it  is  kind  of  you,"  she  went  on,  "  to  come  to  see  my  grand- 
father ;  he  will  be  glad  to  see  you  and  to  receive  you  hospi- 
tably. He  is  proud  of  his  ancient  lineage,  and  cannot  be 
embarrassed  by  the  presence  of  wealth  and  station.  Surely 
those  people  who  can  value  one  another  need  not  be  strangers 
because  one  possesses  more  worldly  wealth  than  the  other. 
Thus  he  thinks  with  regard  to  my  cousin  Lucia  and  Herr  Philip 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  245 

Amberger ;  and  I  think  difference  of  nationality  of  far  more 
importance  than  any  that  money  can  produce.  It  must  be 
hard  to  make  use  always  of  a  tongue  that  is  not  one's  own. 
I  can  get  along  very  well  in  English  and  French,  which  I 
learned  at  school;  but  as  soon 'as  I  wish  to  speak  from  my 
heart,  my  tongue  is  only  German.  Your  brother  must  speak 
Italian  perfectly  ?" 

"  He  has  learned  it,  then,  in  Italy,"  said  Moritz,  with  a 
laugh.  "  He  was  but  poorly  provided  with  that  language 
when  he  left  home." 

"  I  suppose  Lucia  is  so  pretty,"  Lena  observed,  "  that  it  is 
enough  to  look  at  her.  You  must  see  her  picture  ;  it  can  do 
you  no  harm." 

"  Why  not?"  he  asked.     "  On  my  brother's  account?" 

"  No,  no,"  she  answered,  with  a  bright  blush ;  "  but  you 
are  betrothed.  Oh,  we  hear  even  up  here  of  such  important 
matters." 

"  But  what  if  your  information  be  incorrect  ?" 

"What?" 

"  It  is  so.    I  am  not  betrothed." 

"  You  had  better  not  let  that  reach  the  ears  of  Fraulein 
Sidonie  Feinberg " 

"  She  would  confirm  what  I  say.  It  is  not  long,  indeed,  since 
the  tie  between  us  was  broken  ;  but  we  have  known  for  much 
longer  that  we  were  not  at  all  suited  to  each  other,  and  there- 
fore you  startled  me,  almost,  when  you  alluded  to  our  engage- 
ment." 

She  looked  down,  as  if  reflecting  whether  to  pursue  the 
subject  farther,  and  then,  suddenly  raising  her  clear  eyes 
to  his,  she  said,  frankly,  "  Do  you  know  I  am  glad  to  hear 
this?" 

"  You  are  glad  ?"  Moritz  repeated,  in  some  surprise,  but 
none  the  less  pleased. 

''  Yes ;  on  your  account,"  she  said,  with  a  nod  of  girlish 
21* 


246  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

wisdom.  "  Of  course,  now  that  my  cousin  is  to  marry  your 
brother,  I  take  a  certain  interest  in  all  his  family;  that  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at,  is  it?" 

"  On  the  contrary,"  he  declared,  "it  is  your  duty,  Frliulein 
Vogelstein,  to  take  the  deepest  interest  in  every  one  bearing 
the  name  of  Amberger." 

"  Well,  then,"  she  continued,  gravely,  "  I  may  tell  you  that 
I  never  liked  the  little  I  have  seen  of  Fraulein  Sidonie  Fein- 
berg.  No  one  likes  her, — she  is  haughty,  and  as  heartless 
and  false  as  her  father,  whose  wealth  was  not  all  honestly 
gained.  I  can  see  it  in  her  face." 

"  Heartless  and  false Yes,  yes  !"  Moritz  muttered  to 

himself.  "You  are  right."  He  held  out  his  hand  to  the 
young  girl :  "  Thank  you." 

"For  what?" 

"  For  being  glad  that  I  am  free  once  more." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !  Then  I  ought  not  to  have  said  it.  I  must 
keep  a  better  guard  upon  my  tongue." 

"  Do  not  do  that,"  he  entreated;  "  we  are  to  be  very  good 
friends,  and  must  begin  by  being  frank  with  each  other." 

"  Perhaps,"  she  said,  blushing  again.  "  But  I  am  keeping 
you  here.  I  will  go  and  tell  my  grandfather.  I  wonder  he 
has  not  come  to  see  what  Nero  is  barking  at.  We  must  take 
your  horse  into  the  court-yard  and  tie  him  at  the  fountain. 
They  will  wonder  where  I  got  this  steed."  And,  without  heed- 
ing Moritz's  remonstrances,  she  took  the  animal's  bridle,  and 
led  him  across  the  bridge  through  the  gate  of  the  court-yard. 

A  moment  afterwards  the  old  gardener  appeared,  with  a 
courteous  welcome.  "Our  chronicles  tell,"  he  said,  "  of  an 
occasion  where  one  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Amberger  family 
was  brought  within  these  walls  a  prisoner;  since  when,  I 
believe,  this  castle  has  never  had  the  honour  of  a  visit  from 
them." 

"  I  can  easily  imagine  being  a  prisoner  here,"    rejoined 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  247 

Moritz,  with  a  laughing  glance  at  Lena ;  "  but  I  am  curious 
to  see  how  you  have  made  life  endurable  in  these  old  ruins, 
not  only  for  a  recluse,  but  for  a  gay  young  girl." 

"  The  garden  is  the  pleasantest  part  of  our  domain,"  said 
old  Vogelstein  ;  "  but  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  the  honours  of  my 
dwelling  to  you." 

His  manner  was  so  full  of  quiet  dignity  that  Moritz  entirely 
forgot  the  idea  he  had  formed  in  his  mind  of  the  old  "  gar- 
dener." He  was  more  like  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  living 
in  retirement  after  a  busy  and  active  life,  occupying  himself 
with  his  garden  as  an  enjoyment,  not  as  a  duty.  The  widow 
now  appeared,  and  invited  the  guest  into  the  house.  But, 
before  they  went,  Lena,  with  her  own  shapely  arms  and  hands, 
drew  a  bucket  of  water  from  the  fountain,  and  from  it  filled 
a  smaller  one,  to  satisfy  the  thirst  of  Moritz's  horse. 

"  Why  not  call  the  servant?"  her  mother  remonstrated. 

"  I  like  to  do  it,"  the  girl  replied. 

Moritz  found  the  little  cottage  charming.  In  his  present 
mood  he  thought  it  would  be  easy  enough  to  live  there  both 
summer  and  winter.  To  the  widow  it  seemed  lonely,  and 
she  often  longed  for  a  town  life.  Lena  brought  Lucia's 
photograph,  which  she  took  from  a  small  portfolio  full  of  her 
own  pencil  sketches.  Moritz  looked  through  these,  while  the 
conversation  turned  upon  the  Florence  relatives  and  Philip. 
Vogelstein,  with  great  good  sense,  remarked  that  he  was,  of 
course,  glad  that  his  grandchild  should  be  so  well  married,  but 
that  he  could  not  blame  the  family  here  if  they  should  object 
at  first.  Moritz,  who  was  fast  forgetting  how  he  had  thought 
of  the  affair,  spoke  out  bravely  in  defence  of  the  rights  of  the 
heart,  taking  a  most  democratic  stand,  and,  by  way  of  reward, 
received  not  only  an  approving  glance  from  Lena's  bright  eyes, 
but  also  permission  to  carry  away  with  him  a  sketch  of  the 
interior  of  the  ruins. 

"  I  value  such  things  highly,"  he  said,  "  taken 'directly  from 


248  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

nature  as  they  are,  even  when  faulty  in  execution ;  but  this 
seems  to  me  capital." 

Lena  was  not  at  all  embarrassed  by  his  praise,  but  replied 
that  it  was  easy  to  see  he  was  no  connoisseur. 

Vogelstein  asked  his  granddaughter  to  pluck  them  some  ripe 
strawberries  from  a  bed  in  the  garden.  "  Although  they  taste 
much  better  fresh  from  the  stalk,"  she  said,  rising  to  do  his 
bidding.  Moritz  agreed  with  her  that  fruit  eaten  from  a  plate 
was  very  poor,  and  she  offered  to  show  him  the  way  to  the 
berries, — a,n  offer  which  was  gladly  accepted.  The  mother 
called  after  her  child  to  remind  her  to  tie  her  white  kerchief 
over  her  head. 

"  Oh,  mamma,  the  winter  is  long  enough  to  bleach  me  white 
again,  and  the  sun  is  very  low,"  the  girl  remonstrated. 

"  But  the  kerchief  is  so  becoming,"  said  Moritz. 

"  In  that  case "  she  replied ;  and,  tying  it  on,  she  turned 

and  curtsied  to  him,  with  the  merriest  laugh  in  the  world. 

The  gentleman  from  town  was  very  awkward  about  pluck- 
ing strawberries.  He  had  to  be  shown  all  the  best  places, 
and  his  eyes  were  anywhere  but  upon  his  work. 

"  Oh,  child  of  cities,"  Lena  cried,  "let  me  show  you!"  and 
she  plucked  a  handful  and  poured  them  into  his  hollowed 
palms.  Then  they  walked  through  the  garden  admiring  the 
flowers  and  the  loveliness  of  the  declining  day.  At  last  it 
was  time  to  take  leave. 

"You  shall  have  a  nosegay  to  carry  with  you,"  said  the 
girl.  "  Your  knife,  if  you  please,  grandpapa." 

"  Only  a  single  bud,"  Moritz  said. 

"  Well,  then,  let  it  be  the  loveliest." 

"  The  one  plucked  by  you  must  be  the  loveliest." 

"  No,  no ;"  and  she  blushed  deeply.  "  You  must  say  only 
what  you  mean.  As  a  punishment,  I  shall  give  you  no  rose 
at  all." 

Vogelstein  led  the  horse  through  the  gate,  and  across  the 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  249 

bridge  to  a  path  which  ran  tolerably  smoothly  along  the  ditch. 
The  animal  was  very  restive  as  Moritz  mounted ;  but  he  held 
him  still,  while  he  promised  to  come  soon  again  and  bring  to 
Philip  a  letter,  which  Vogelstein  could  enclose  in  one  to  his 
son.  As  he  was  about  to  touch  his  hat  in  farewell,  Lena 
handed  up  to  him  a  rose-bud  that  she  had  cut  privately.  He 
pressed  the  little  hand  that  gave  it  to  him,  and  stuck  it  in  his 
button-hole.  "  And  now,  good-by !"  he  called  out,  as  he  turned 
his  horse  and  gave  him  a  light  cut  with  his  riding-whip. 

It  was  quite  superfluous.  The  restive  animal  started  off, 
rushed  to  the  edge  of  the  ditch,  then  shied,  and  reared  so  that 
the  rider,  off  his  guard,  lost  his  stirrups  and  was  thrown.  He 
heard  a  low  scream,  and  saw  his  steed  galloping  across  the 
moor.  He  rose  instantly,  but  immediately  felt  an  intense  pain 
in  his  left  ankle.  "  It  is  nothing,"  he  reassured  his  hosts,  who 
hurried  up  to  him.  "  But  how  am  I  to  get  my  horse  again  ?" 

His  foot  soon  became  so  painful  that  he  was  obliged  to  lean 
for  support  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  "  The  ankle  is  not 
broken,  I  trust?"  said  the  old  gardener. 

"  Only  slightly  sprained,"  Moritz  replied.  "  But  what  shall 
I  do  ?  I  cannot  go  home."  Again  he  tried  to  walk,  leaning 
heavily  upon  Vogelstein's  arm.  Lena,  pale  with  terror,  sup- 
ported him  upon  the  other  side.  "  It  must  be  bandaged," 
her  mother  said ;  "  you  must  stay  here  until  we  can  procure  a 
vehicle  of  some  kind." 

He  assented,  with  a  slight  pressure  of  the  pretty  arm  upon 
which  he  leaned.  "  I  thought,"  he  declared,  "  that  I  should 
be  a  prisoner  here." 


250  THE   GREEN  GATE. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

No  bone  was  broken ;  but  by  night  the  foot  was  much 
swollen  and  very  painful.  A  couch  was  prepared  for  Herr 
Amberger  in  Vogelstein's  room,  and  the  old  man  arose  many 
times  in  the  night  to  renew  the  cold-water  bandages  that  en- 
abled Moritz  to  gain  some  sleep.  In  the  morning,  although  it 
was  no  worse,  the  foot  was  altogether  too  painful  to  use  at  all, 
— at  least  so  its  owner  averred  when  the  widow  offered  to  go 
to  the  town  and  order  a  carriage  for  him.  "  Keep  me  here  a 
few  days,  I  pray,"  he  begged.  "  The  cold  water  from  your 
fountain  is  so  healing,  and  the  pure  air  so  invigorating.  I 
think  I  never  knew  what  really  pure,  fresh  air  is  before,  and 
when  I  think  of  sitting  for  days  in  my  own  room,  where  the 
sun  does  not  even  come,  with  my  foot  up  on  a  chair,  the  pros- 
pect is  too  dreary.  If  only  my  mother  were  at  home,  it  would 
not  be  so  bad." 

Vogelstein  made  no  objection  to  his  remaining,  only  he 
was  afraid  they  might  be  anxious  about  the  master  at  his 
home,  especially  if  the  horse  had  found  its  way  to  the  stable. 
The  widow  offered  to  call  at  Herr  Ambergcr's  counting-room, 
as  she  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  town  to  make  some  purchases  ; 
and  Moritz,  seated  comfortably  in  a  huge  arm-chair,  with  his 
foot  on  a  rest,  wrote  a  note  to  his  book-keeper,  directing  him 
to  send  a  small  portmanteau  by  a  servant,  and  giving  him 
necessary  instructions  for  the  next  few  days.  "  There !"  he 
exclaimed,  as  he  handed  her  the  letter  ;  "  they  will  know  where 
I  am  now.  Let  them  go  on  for  a  few  more  days  as  they  have" 
been  doing ;  a  change  of  affairs  will  shortly  be  made.  And 
could  you  not,  my  dear  Frau  Vogelstein,  order  the  servant  to 
bring  a  basket  of  wine  from  my  cellar  ?"  The  old  gardener, 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  251 

however,  forbade  this,  stating  that  the  stock  of  wine  in  the 
castle  cellar  had  not  been  exhausted  since  the  days  of  the 
former  Freiherr. 

At  the  tile-kiln  Frau  Vogelstein  learned  that  the  horse  had 
been  caught  and  taken  to  town.  The  chef  did  not  seem  to 
have  been  much  missed  in  the  counting-room.  The  book- 
keeper sent  word  that  all  should  go  on  as  usual. 

In  the  mean  while,  Moritz  sat  beneath  the  vine-covered 
veranda,  and  was  taken  care  of  and  entertained  by  Lena. 
The  hours  passed  quickly  enough.  The  old  man  worked  in 
the  garden,  but  paid  him  a  visit  now  and  then,  and  joined  in 
the  lively  talk.  At  noon  the  patient  was  given  a  book,  and 
told  to  read,  since  his  nurse  was  to  be  busy  elsewhere.  "  I 
shall  examine  you  upon  it  this  afternoon,"  she  said,  archly, 
shaking  her  finger  at  him.  But  when  the  time  came,  he  knew 
nothing  of  the  book.  His  thoughts  must  have  strayed,  she 
told  him. 

"  Not  very  far,"  he  excused  himself;  "only  into  the  kitchen, 
where  you  were." 

"  Ah,  then  I  suppose  you  were  busy  with  hopes  as  to  your 
dinner.  How  disappointed  you  must  have  been !"  was  her 
mocking  reply. 

In  the  evening,  which  was  lovely,  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
talk  about  personal  matters.  The  old  man  told  many  stories 
of  his  early  youth,  and  of  his  life  before  the  young  Freiherr 
brought  his  bride  to  the  ruin,  upon  which  subject,  of  course, 
he  did  not  touch.  His  son's  widow  had  many  relatives,  well- 
to-do  people  in  the  country  round,  and  had  much  to  tell  of 
them  and  of  the  virtues  of  her  deceased  husband.  Moritz 
spoke  of  his  business  undertakings,  and  regretted  having  de- 
serted his  father's  sound  business  principles, — letting  his 
hearers  perceive  that  he  was  by  no  means  so  solidly  established 
as  was  supposed.  Lena  asked  the  real  meaning  of  the  words 
"  commercial  speculation,"  of  which  he  had  several  times  made 


252  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

use,  and  his  explanation  was  far  from  satisfactory.  "  Why, 
chance  seems  to  be  the  speculator's  best  friend,"  she  said. 

"  And  sometimes  his  worst,"  he  added. 

He  passed  an  excellent  night.  At  breakfast  he  assured 
Lena  that,  strange  though  it  might  appear,  he  had  dreamed 
delightful  things  of  her  all  night  long.  "  The  reality  will 
seem  all  the  more  commonplace,"  she  declared,  as  she  pre- 
sented him  with  a  bouquet  of  roses  fresh  from  the  garden. 

"  I  dreamed  this  very  thing  just  before  morning,'1  he  re- 
plied, "  and  that  you  allowed  me  to  testify  my  gratitude  by 
kissing  your  hand.  Let  me  make  that  a  reality  too,  I  pray." 

But  this  proposal  found  no  favour  in  her  eyes. 

The  foot  was  reduced  to  its  original  size,  but  its  owner 
maintained  that  the  ankle  was  still  painful.  Vogelstein  ad- 
vised him  to  walk  a  few  minutes  at  a  time,  now  and  again, 
so  as  gradually  to  regain  the  full  use  of  it.  This  would  be 
impossible,  Moritz  said,  alone,  but  if  Fraulein  Lena  would  lend 

him  her  arm This  she  did  not  refuse  to  do,  although  she 

thought  a  cane  would  have  answered  the  purpose  as  well.  In 
order  to  complete  his  sense  of  due  support,  he  clasped  her 
hand  and  held  it  tight.  Thus  the  promenades  beneath  the 
veranda  grew  longer  and  longer,  until  they  were  extended  to 
the  fountain,  and  to  a  pretty  little  seat  beneath  the  trees,  just 
within  the  garden  wall.  Here  he  must  rest,  Moritz  said,  and 
here  they  sat  down. 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  have  been  thinking,  Lena?"  he  said, 
omitting  the  Fraulein,  as  if  unintentionally. 

"  How  should  I,  Herr  Amberger?"  she  asked,  in  her  turn 
emphasizing  the  last  two  words. 

"  You  love  these  ruins,  do  you  not?" 

"  Indeed  I  do.     I  look  to  end  my  days  here." 

"  Ah  !" 

"And  why  not?" 

"  You  are  so  young  yet." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  253 

"  I  have  all  the  longer  to  stay  here,  then." 

"  But  suppose  you  should  be  enticed  to  town." 

"How?" 

"  By  some  one  whom  you  could  love  better  even  than  these 
dear  old  ruins." 

"  But  what  were  you  going  to  tell  me  you  had  been  thinking 
of?  Something  very  wise,  I  hope." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  that  I  would  buy  them ;  they  cannot 
cost  so  very  much." 

"  Oh,  that  would  be  a  very  bad  '  commercial  speculation.'  " 

"  Who  could  think  of  it  as  such?" 

"  I  suppose  you  want  to  sell  the  stones  for  building." 

"  Do  you  think  me  so  prosaic,  Friiulein  Lena  ?  I  wish  to 
own  these  ruins,  that  they  may  never  be  disturbed,  and  in 
summer  I  can  come  here  always." 

"  And  drive  us  away  ?     How  kind  of  you  !" 

"  That  I  never  said.  What  would  it  be  here  without  you? 
I  value  the  place  because  it  pleases  you." 

"Yes,  but  if  you " 

"  We  will  restore  the  tower,  with  its  crown  of  battlements, 
from  which  there  must  be  a  charming  prospect." 

"  I  once  climbed  up  upon  a  ladder  that  I  placed  against  the 
inside  wall,  and  peeped  through  one  of  the  narrow  windows. 
The  view  was  lovely." 

"  But  you  must  never  do  that  again,  Lena ;  you  might 
have  fallen.  We  will  have  a  pretty  winding-stair,  with  a 
hand-rail  up  to  the  top,  where  shall  be  a  huge  flagstaff,  and 
on  all  festal  occasions  we  will  hoist  a  flag  that  can  be  seen  from 
the  town.  What  do  you  think  of  having  a  large  L  and  an 
A  upon  it  ?'* 

"  Oh,  I  do  not  think  of  it  at  all.  Fortunately,  the  Hone- 
burg  is  not  for  sale.  But  we  have  rested  enough."  She 
arose. 

He  took  her  hand  and  tried  to  draw  her  down  upon  the 
22 


254  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

seat  again,  but  she  resisted.  "  I  have  so  much  to  say  to  you," 
he  declared. 

"  Come  to  the  fountain,  then, — there  is  a  seat  there  too,  and 
we  can  see  better  what  is  going  on  in  the  house." 

"  And  can  be  seen,  too." 

"  Yes  ;  that  is  an  advantage." 

And  he  did  as  he  was  bidden. 

Towards  evening,  Herr  Vogelstein  came  in  from  the  garden 
with  the  information  that  a  light  vehicle  was  coming  across 
the  moor  towards  the  Honeburg.  Moritz  could  not  guess 
whom  it  could  bring,  for  of  course  it  must  be  coming  with 
some  visitor  of  his.  He  was  supported  to  the  bridge,  and  ex- 
claimed, as  soon  as  he  looked  at  the  approaching  carriage, 
"  That  is  one  of  Feinberg's  equipages  !  What  can  he  want  of 
me  ?  Probably  something  unusual  has  happened  on  '  Change." 

Some  hundred  paces  away  from  the  garden  hedge  the  car- 
riage stopped,  and  a  gentleman,  whom  Moritz  instantly  recog- 
nized as  Ignaz  Feinberg,  descended  from  it,  to  come  the  rest 
of  the  way  on  foot.  "  Take  me  to  the  arbour  outside  the 
wall,"  Moritz  begged  the  old  gardener,  "and  tell  my  visitor 
where  I  am  to  be  found."  Frau  Vogelstein  and  Lena  with- 
drew, pacifying  Nero,  who  was  barking  furiously. 

"  What  in  the  world  have  you  been  about  ?"  Feinberg 
called  out,  as  he  approached  the  arbour  where  Moritz  was 
sitting,  certainly  looking  just  at  that  moment  quite  ill.  And, 
as  he  spoke,  he  tried  to  assume  an  expression  of  hearty  good 
will,  in  which  he  succeeded  but  poorly.  "  Riding  out  here, 
entirely  alone!  Sidonie  will  never  believe  it.  Why  not  con- 
fine yourself  to  the  high-road,  if  you  must  emulate  a  cavalry 
officer  ?  I  thought  you  rode  solely  to  please  my  daughter,  who 
has  many  a  wild  freak,  silly  girl  that  she  is, — but  here  you  are. 
I  hope  your  hurt  is  nothing  serious — eh  ?" 

He  was  wonderfully  loquacious.  Moritz  wondered  what 
could  be  the  reason  for  his  change  of  demeanour,  as,  instead 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  255 

of  his  usual  two-fingered  shake,  he  grasped  his  hand  cordially. 
With  certain  people  one  always  asks,  "  What  is  the  reason  of 
this?"  before  accepting  any  token  of  friendliness  from  them. 
The  repeated  reference  to  Sidonie,  too,  was  not  unintentional. 
Moritz  thanked  him  with  some  reserve. 

"  I  should  like  to  carry  you  away  from  this  old  owls'-nest, 
my  dear  friend,"  Feinberg  continued,  glancing  at  the  ruins. 
"  To  think  of  my  losing  my  way  in  this  wilderness  in  pursuit 

of  my  adventurous  son-in-law, — ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  Well ? 

Will  your  foot  let  you  get  to  the  carriage  if  we  support  you  ?_ 
My  coachman  will  drive  us  back  to  town  without  upsetting 
us, — quite  a  feat,  it  is  true.  Oh,  you  will  be  glad  enough  to 
get  back,  even  although  the  jolting  may  not  be  very  pleasant. 
Come,  then !" 

He  offered  his  arm  to  Moritz,  but  the  young  man  refused 
it,  and  beckoned  to  Vogelstein,  who  was  standing  near,  un- 
certain whether  or  not  to  withdraw.  "  I  am  capitally  taken 
care  of  here,"  he  said  ;  "  and,  thanks  to  my  kind  host  and  his 
family,  my  foot  is  much  better.  Allow  me, — Feinberg,  this 
is  the  castellan  of  the  Hbneburg,  Herr  Vogelstein." 

The  wealthy  merchant  bowed,  with  a  scornful  smile,  as 
if  to  say,  "  This  was  scarcely  necessary,"  and  asked,  "You  will 
help  me,  my  good  man,  I  hope,  to  support  the  invalid  to  my 
carriage?" 

"  You  seem  in  great  haste,"  Moritz  remarked,  keeping  his 
seat.  "  It  is  by  no  means  the  case  with  me.  I  am  extremely 
comfortable  here,  and  I  shall  remain  until  I  can  return  to 
town  on  foot,  unless  Herr  Vogelstein  turns  me  out."  He  held 
out  his  hand  to  the  old  man. 

"  You  shall  stay  as  long  as  you  please,"  Vogelstein  replied. 
"  I  am  but  a  plain  man ;  but  until  you  tire  of  my  society " 

"  There  is  no  need  of  all  these  compliments,"  Feinberg  in- 
terrupted him.  "  You  can  show  your  gratitude  to  this  good 
man  another  time,  and  in  another  way  than  by  subjecting  your- 


256  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

self  to  further  inconvenience.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  hurry 
to  town,  where  you  can  consult  a  physician.  So  make  no  more 
delay,  dear  friend." 

"  I  desire  no  gratitude,"  Vogelsteiu  replied,  not  without  a 
degree  of  offended  pride.  "  Herr  Amberger  is  quite  aware  of 
that." 

Feinberg  buried  his  chin  in  his  cravat.     "  Then  I  cannot 

see  why " 

"  I  am  sorry,"  said  Moritz,  "  that  you  should  have  taken  any 
unnecessary  trouble  on  my  account.  I  have  no  wish  to  change 
my  delightful  quarters  at  present,  unless  my  presence  in  the 
town  is  urgently  necessary." 

"Hm!  hin !"  Feinberg  growled.  "A  merchant's  place,  I 
should  say,  is  in  his  counting-room." 

"  Have  you  any  important  information  to  give  me  ?"  Moritz 
asked,  in  a  rather  uncertain  tone. 

Feinberg  glanced  towards  old  Vogelstein.  "  I  did  wish  to 
speak  with  you ;  and,  since  you  will  not  drive  to  town,  I  will 
stay  here  a  few  minutes.  If  we  could  be — 

"  I  will  withdraw,"  the  old  man  observed,  as  he  went  off  to 
his  work. 

The  merchant  sat  down  beside  Moritz,  whose  eyes  were  bent 
gloomily  upon  the  ground.  Feinberg's  plebeian  manners  had 
never  seemed  so  repulsive  to  him.  There  must  be  an  end  to 
this,  he  thought,  and  sat  in  dread  of  the  coming  conversation. 

"  Has  anything  happened  in  the  office?"  he  asked,  with  some 
hesitation. 

"Not  that  I  know  of." 

"  I  thought,  as  you  wished  to  speak — 

"  We  have  other  things  to  speak  of." 

"  Then  you  know ?" 

"What  is  there  for  me  to  know?" 

A  pause  ensued.  Apparently,  neither  wished  to  put  intx. 
words  what  was  in  his  mind. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  257 

<(  I  supposed,"  Amberger  began,  at  last,  "  that  Fran  Feinberg 
might  have  told  you  of  the  change  which — which " 

"  Well  ?     Say  what  you  have  to  say." 

"  Which  Fr'aulein  Feinberg  has  seen  fit  to  make." 

"  Frau  Feinberg — Fraulein  Feinberg  !  This  formality  is 
odd.  I  believe  Sidonie  is  your  betrothed." 

Moritz  felt  suffocated.  "  She  was,"  he  answered,  driven  to 
speak  clearly ;  "  but  Fraulein  Feinberg  has  given  me  to  under- 
stand  " 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  my  dear  friend!"  Feinberg  interrupted  him, 
briskly.  "  Women  are  full  of  whims, — we  all  know  that, — • 
and  commit  follies  for  which  they  are  afterwards  very  sorry.  I 
believe  in  my  heart  that  they  went  to  Berlin  after  that  Pro- 
fessor they  were  so  wild  about.  Now  they  have  had  enough 
of  him.  No  need  to  have  any  anxiety  about  that." 

"  If  you  had  read  Fraulein  Sidonie's  letter  to  me " 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes ;  I've  no  doubt  there  was  an  immense  deal  of 
nonsense  in  it.  Women  are  women,  and  they  seldom  write 
anything  worth  reading.  You  ought  not  to  have  answered  it." 

"But  I  have  answered  it." 

"  Of  course,  in  your  first  moments  of  anger.  I  suppose 
your  reply  was  hardly  worth  reading,  either." 

"  Herr  Feinberg !" 

"  But  now  you  can  listen  to  reason?  Or  perhaps  not  quite 
yet.  Unfortunately,  I  heard  of  the  matter  to-day  for  the  first 
time,  from  my  wife,  with  marginal  notes  which  I  will  not  be- 
tray. If  I  had  known  about  it  sooner  it  should  never  have 
gone  so  far.  Sidonie  had  entire  freedom  of  choice.  I  put  no 
force  upon  her  in  your  case,  much  as  I  desired  the  match.  If 
she  had  wished  to  marry  Herr  von  Otten,  I  should  have  said 
'yes.'  But  after  she  had  decided,  it  was  a  very  different  affair. 
I  have  treated  you  in  a  business  point  of  view  as  my  son-in-law, 
and  I  am  not  going  to  have  my  plans  interfered  with." 

Moritz  began  to  understand,  and  the  decided  emphasis  laid 
22* 


258  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

upon  the  last  sentence  told  him  that  there  was  no  expectation 
of  any  opposition  on  his  part.  This  was  an  emergency  for 
which  he  was  unprepared.  What  should  he — what  could  he 
reply  ? 

Feinberg  left  him  no  time  to  decide.  "  The  business  world," 
he  continued,  "  is  used  to  hearing  the  names  of  our  firms  con- 
nected, and  such  customs  can  never  be  laid  aside  without  dis- 
advantage. I  say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  this  connection  at 
present  is  of  use,  I  may  say  indispensable,  only  to  yourself. 
I  am  of  a  grateful  disposition,  and  do  not  forget  that  it  has 
served  ine  in  former  years.  In  conclusion,  I  do  not  wish,  my 
dear  friend,  to  have  striven  for  your  benefit  in  vain.  You  will 
reap  the  harvest  with  me.  These  are  very  plain  and  simple 
considerations.  I  think  we  understand  each  other." 

"  I  understand  you,"  Moritz  replied,  hopelessly,  swallowing 
his  indignation. 

Perhaps  the  tone  in  which  he  spoke  was  not  sufficiently 
submissive,  for  Feinberg  thought  it  necessary  to  cast  upon  him 
a  keen  glance  of  inquiry.  "  Well,  then,"  he  began  again,  "  you 
understand  me.  It  is  fortunate  that  only  the  writers  them- 
selves, my  wife,  and  I  know  of  the  letters  that  have  passed 
between  Sidonie  and  yourself.  My  wife  will  be  silent,  I  will 
be  silent,  and  as  for  the  betrothed  couple  themselves " 

Moritz  drew  away  from  the  hand  which  he  was  about  to 
place  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  As  for  the  betrothed  couple  themselves,  my  dear  friend, 
I  am  not  at  all  afraid  that  they  will  not  know  how  to  forget 
this  little  mutual  misunderstanding." 

"  But  Sidonie " 

"  Sidonie  thinks  no  longer  as  she  did  a  few  days  ago.  In 
view  of  her  character,  I  think  that  on  the  whole  you  did  well 
to  return  an  instant  and  decided  answer  to  her  letter,  instead 
of  appealing  to  her  father.  She  did  not  expect  it,  and  it  im- 
pressed her.  She  needs  to  be  impressed :  she  tires  of  constant 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  259 

indulgence  and  submission.  Now  she  sees  what  you  really 
are,  and  the  effect  is  evident.  My  wife  tells  me  that  if  she  had 
not  written  that  unfortunate  letter  to  you,  it  never  would  be 
written  now.  What  does  that  mean,  eh  ?" 

To  Moritz  it  seemed  as  if  some  serpent  were  winding  its 
coils  about  him  body  and  soul.  "  It  may  be,"  he  said,  almost 
with  a  gasp,  "  that  Sidonie  repents  her- precipitation." 

"  What !  Precipitation  ?"  Feinberg  exclaimed.  "  Repent ! 
You  talk  like  a  school-master  or  a  priest.  Why  take  a  whim 
so  seriously  ?  You  must  make  allowance  for  young  girls,  and 
show  your  own  superior  wisdom.  Come  to  town,  take  a  sheet 
of  paper  and  write  to  Sidonie  as  if  those  warlike  epistles  had 
never  been  exchanged,  and  I  will  insure " 

The  young  man  forgot  his  lame  foot,  and  sprang  up  in- 
voluntarily. "  What !  you  would  have  me ?"  he  ex- 
claimed, indignantly. 

Feinberg  regarded  him  with  extreme  surprise,  half  closing 
his  eyes,  as  if  to  observe  him  more  distinctly.  "  Yes ;  you 
cannot  wish  Sidonie  to  ask  pardon, — you  know  the  girl." 

"  And  you  require  me,  a  man,  so  to  humiliate  myself 

"  Pshaw !"  Feinberg  interrupted  him,  drawing  him  down 
upon  the  seat  again.  "  Let  us  talk  like  practical  people.  Is 
it  of  consequence  that  the  old  relation  should  be  restored, — 
yes,  or  no  ?" 

Amberger  looked  away,  and  made  no  reply. 

"  Yes,  I  say,"  his  tormentor  made  answer.  "  Yes,  in  your 
own  interest.  This  being  so,  my  dear  friend,  the  question  is, 
how  this  is  to  be  brought  about ;  and  you  can  hardly  fail  to 
see  that  the  first  step  towards  reconciliation  must  be  made  by 
yourself,  especially  since  I  have  treated  you  with  such  frank 
cordiality.  Or  do  you  not  agree  with  me?" 

Moritz  still  looked  away.  He  knew  perfectly  well  what  his 
roply  should  be,  but  he  also  knew  the  consequences  of  Fein- 
berg's  departure  in  anger.  For  one  moment  he  succumbed  to 


260  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

a  weak  despair.  Should  he  give  an  evasive  answer  ?  What 
good  would  it  do  ?  Just  then  he  thought  he  saw  something 
moving  on  the  other  side  of  the  garden  wall;  and,  sure 
enough,  it  was  Lena's  curly  head  that  appeared  for  an  in- 
stant and  then  vanished.  He  heard  her  speaking  to  Nero, 
and  the  gentle  sound  of  her  voice  warmed  his  heart.  It  was 
as  if  the  wall  were  transparent  and  he  could  see  her  caressing 
the  dog's  shaggy  head.  He  had  often  envied  the  animal  the 
light  touch  of  those  pretty  fingers.  He  could  not  feel  her  so 
near  him  and  still  pause  irresolute.  He  turned  to  Herr  Fein- 
berg  with  a  face  greatly  changed  in  expression.  "  I  will  tell 
you  frankly  what  I  think,"  he  said,  firmly.  "  There  never 
ought  to  have  been  any  engagement  between  Sidonie  and  my- 
self. Now  that  it  is  dissolved,  dissolved  by  her,  it  must  stay 
so, — it  is  much  better  for  both.  Sidonie  does  not  love  me, 
and  I — I  no  longer  feel  towards  her  in  a  way  that  would 
justify  me  in  offering  her  my  hand  again.  This  is  my  reply 
as  an  honest  man." 

Feinberg  had  raised  his  head  so  that  he  quite  looked  down 
upon  his  bold  opponent.  "  You  had  better  have  said  so  at 
first,"  he  said,  with  icy  coldness.  "Why  let  me  waste  my 
words  ?  You  wish  the  engagement  broken.  Yes,  that  is 
quite  another  affair." 

"  I  do  not  wish  it  broken,"  Moritz  replied  ;  "  it  is  broken." 

"  Then  you  do  not  wish  it  renewed.  That  amounts  to  the 
same  thing."  He  arose  slowly,  and  began  to  draw  on  the 
glove  which  he  had  hitherto  held  in  his  hand.  Perhaps  he 
wished  to  give  his  rash  antagonist  time  for  reflection. 

"  Remember  that  the  welfare  of  your  only  daughter " 

Moritz  entreated.  The  words  died  in  his  throat. 

Feinberg  went  on  composedly  putting  on  his  gloves.  "  I 
am  not  accustomed  to  act  without  due  reflection.  Do  not 
overlook  the  fact  that  I  have  offered  you  an  opportunity  for 
the  adjustment  of  the  affair,  and  that  you  have  refused  to 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  261 

embrace  it,  and  that  the  matter  at  stake  is  my  daughter's 
hand, — a  very  delicate  matter.  I^un  driven  to  suppose  that 
you  wish  to  insult  me,  if  you " 

"  Herr  Feinberg !"  Amberger  interrupted  him  in  terror. 

"  That  you  wish  to  insult  me,"  the  banker  repeated,  in  the 
same  cutting  tone,  "  if  you  reject  the  attempt  at  a  recon- 
ciliation that  only  requires  you  to  stretch  out  your  hand. 
Of  course  you  can  expect  no  further  tokens  of  friendship  from 
a  man  whom  you  insult ;  and  when  two  men  of  business  like 
ourselves  can  no  longer  work  together,  of  course  you  under- 
stand that  they  must  be  opposed  to  each  other.  "Well,  I  think 
I  shall  be  able  to  bear  it." 

"  What !  you  would " 

"  I  shall  show  the  business  world  that  there  is  no  reason 
whatever  for  my  coveting  the  honour  of  calling  you  my  son- 
in-law.  Of  course  I  owe  this  to  myself  when  this  broken 
engagement  becomes  the  town-talk." 

"  You  would  ruin  me  ?" 

"  If  it  comes  to  that,  I  must  take  care  of  myself.  That 
hardly  suits  you,  it  seems  ?  Hm !  Do  you  wish  time  for 
reflection  ?" 

Moritz  was  silent. 

"  I  will  give  you  time  for  reflection,"  Feinberg  continued, 
with  a  smile  that  was  by  no  means  pleasant  to  see.  "  You 
shall  have  forty-eight  hours.  There  need  be  no  word  of  ex- 
cuse or  entreaty, — only  send  me  a  letter  to  Sidonie,  and  I 
shall  consider  your  part  in  the  affair  concluded.  If  not," 
and  his  voice  grew  loud  in  menace,  "  I  shall  publish  abroad 
the  next  morning  that  Sidonie  has  dismissed  you.  Adieu  !" 

He  touched  his  hat,  turned,  and  went  down  the  path  to 
the  moor  where  the  carriage  was  standing.  Moritz  heard  him 
whistling  a  gay  opera-air. 


262  THE  GREEN  GATE. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE  young  merchant  felt  annihilated.  He  sank  back  on 
his  seat  and  buried  his  face  in  his  hands.  "  Time  for  reflec- 
tion." What  was  there  to  reflect  upon  ?  The  only  question 
was  whether  he  should  suffer  ruin  as  a  man  or  as  a  merchant. 
And  he  no  longer  had  only  Sidouie  to  think  of;  his  heart 
seemed  almost  breaking  when  he  thought  of  the  hopes  that 
he  might  have  to  sacrifice. 

Thus  he  sat  for  awhile,  lost  in  a  sad  reverie,  when  a  merry 
voice  addressed  him.  "Are  you  asleep,  Herr  Amberger?" 
He  started  and  looked  up,  to  see  Lena  standing  before  him. 
His  face  must  have  worn  a  pale  and  dejected  look,  for  she 
instantly  asked,  anxiously,  "  But  what  is  the  matter  ?  You 
are  pale  as  a  ghost." 

He  held  out  his  hand,  and  nodded  sadly.  "  I  cannot " 

he  muttered  to  himself,  "  I  cannot." 

"You  cannot  what?"  the  girl  asked,  compassionately. 

He  drew  her  down  upon  the  bench  beside  him,  and  she 

made  no  resistance.  "  If  I  only  knew "  he  said,  looking 

into  her  clear,  frank  eyes,  that  slowly  fell  before  his  own. 
"  Lena,  dear  Lena !" 

She  recoiled.     "  But,  good  heavens !" 

"  Do  you  know  who  the  gentleman  was  who  has  just  left 
me?" 

"  My  grandfather  told  me." 

"  And  do  you  know  what  he  wished  me  to  do  ?" 

"  Not ?"     She  raised  her  head. 

"  Yes!  yes!"  he  assented.   He  saw  that  she  guessed  rightly. 

She  grew  very  grave  and  thoughtful,  her  white  teeth  rest- 
ing upon  her  under-lip. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  263 

"  Something  must  have  happened,"  he  began  again,  "  to 
make  Sidonie  change  her  mind.  For  I  am  convinced  that 
she  and  her  mother  are  the  contrivers  of  this  plan.  It  may 
perhaps  suit  the  old  man  very  well,  since  he  has  made  up  his 
mind  to  this  marriage,  and  knows  his  daughter  well  enough 
to  know  where  the  fault  lies.  His  social  position  is  not  yet 
sufficiently  well  assured ;  he  "would  avoid  a  scandal  and  stand 
well  with  the  respectable  part  of  the  community.  Therefore 
he  has  consented  to  play  the  go-between,  not  a  role  very  much 
to  his  taste.  He  will  be  all  the  more  resolved  upon  my  ruin 
if  he  has  taken  this  trouble  in  vain.  And  he  can  ruin  me. 
I  have  allowed  myself  to  become  too  deeply  involved  with 
him.  What  shall  I  do,  Lena?  what  would  you  do  in  my 
place?" 

She  had  let  him  finish  without  stirring.  Now,  her  hand 
trembled  slightly,  and  she  turned  her  face  more  away  from  him. 
"  If  you  can  hesitate,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone,  "  there  is  only 
one  advice  to  be  given  you :  Go  back  to  Sidonie." 

"  You  advise  that?"  he  exclaimed.     "  You,  Lena !" 

A  tear  fell  from  her  eyes  into  her  lap.  "  I  am  sorry  for 
you,  but " 

"  You  advise  me  thus !  Because  you  think  me  a  heartless 
man,  you  do  not  believe  in " 

"  Because  you  hesitate,"  she  replied,  interrupting  him.  "  I 
understand  how  much  courage  is  required  to  withstand  such  a 
temptation,  and  you  are  not  brave  enough." 

"  Lena !" 

"  Examine  yourself.  You  are  not  brave  enough  to  risk  posi- 
tion, wealth,  and  a  brilliant  future,  only  that  you  may  earn 
your  own  self-approval." 

"  Do  not  forget,  Lena,  that  my  mother's,  my  sister's,  and 
my  brother's  property  is  at  stake " 

"  I  do  not  forget  it." 

"  Yet  you  blame " 


264  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  I  do  not  blame  you.     How  could  I  ?" 

"  But  you  say  I  am  not  brave." 

"  I  do  not  say  that  you  could  not  be  brave." 

"  It  is  impossible,  Lena." 

She  made  no  reply. 

"  Quite  impossible  that  I  should  yield.  A  week  ago,  per- 
haps— I  cared  very  little  then  what  became  of  me.  I  did  not 
know.  If  I  only  knew  now,  Lena !"  She  arose. 

He  took  the  hand  hanging  by  her  side  in  his  own.  "  It 
might  be,"  he  said,  "  that  I  could  lose  all,  and  yet  be  supremely 
happy  in  the  possession  of  a  heart  worth  all  else  that  can 
make  life  dear.  I  might  be  brave  enough  to  be  true  to  myself 
in  poverty,  if  this  poverty  were  shared  by  a  love  that  would 
make  me  rich  indeed.  If  I  ask  you,  Lena " 

"  Do  not  ask !"  she  exclaimed,  hastily,  and  her  voice  and 
hes  hand  both  trembled.  "  You  must  think  of  your  mother 
and  your  sister,  and  of  yourself.  You  are  still  undecided ;  what 
may  seem  impossible  to-day,  because  it  finds  you  unprepared, 
may  seem  so  no  longer  to-morrow,  after  cool  reflection.  Do  not 
make  your  decision  more  difficult.  I  am  but  an  ignorant  girl, 
and  have  never  pondered  such  matters ;  but  I  think  in  your 
case  I  would  not  ask  any  one  to  share  the  responsibility  of  my 
decision,  least  of  all  any  one  whom  I  cared  for." 

"  You  know,  then,  Lena,  that  I  care  for  you,"  he  said,  carry- 
ing her  hand  to  his  lips ;  "  and  I  must  not  ask  whether  you 
care  for  me  ?" 

"  No,  you  must  not,"  she  replied,  hastily ;  "  and  you  must 
promise  not  to  speak  of  such  things  while  you  are  our  guest 
here,  or  I  must  go  to  town  and  not  return.  Will  you 
promise?" 

"  But  only  think— 

"  Will  you  promise  ?" 

"  Well,  then — yes  !  if  I  may  have  the  smallest  hope " 

"  Unconditionally." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  265 

"  Very  well !  I  will  trust  to  your  clemency.  I  will  rely 
upon  your  angelic  kindness,  your " 

"  You  must  rely  upon  nothing,  but  must  consider  prudently 
and  quietly  what  you  owe  to  every  one.  Fortunately,  you 
owe  me  nothing,  not  even  a  compliment." 

"  Oh,  you  are  cruel !" 

"It  is  my  duty  to  be  so.  And  now  lean  upon  my  arm  and 
let  me  lead  you  in.  Do  not  disturb  my  mother  or  my  old 
grandfather.  Why  should  they  know  anything  about  this  ? 
Your  foot  will  be  quite  well  by  day  after  to-morrow,  I  think, 
so  that  you  can  go  to  town,  and  if  you  are  very  good  until 
then  I  will  go  with  you  as  far  as  the  green  gate."  He  ventured 
to  press  her  hand. 

"  If  you  are  very  good,  you  understand." 


All  through  that  evening  Lena  avoided  any  tete-a-tete  with 
Moritz,  and  the  next  morning  she  was  very  busy.  She  had 
never  seemed  so  lovely  to  him  as  now,  when  he  could  only 
follow  her  with  his  eyes.  She  was  evidently  determined  to 
leave  him  quite  to  himself;  but  there  was  nothing  stern  or 
forbidding  in  her  demeanour ;  on  the  contrary,  a  happy  smile 
continually  played  about  her  mouth,  as  if  her  thoughts  were 
occupied  with  pleasant  subjects.  Before  retiring  to  rest  on  the 
previous  night,  Moritz  had  done  his  best  to  reconcile  himself 
to  his  position  ;  but  his  mind  was  too  full  of  Lena  to  admit  of 
other  considerations.  Sidonie  seemed  like  some  far-off  delu- 
sion, which  could  never  take  possession  of  him  again.  All  there 
was  to  consider  was,  what  the  consequences  of  a  break  with 
Feinberg  might  be,  and  whether  they  could  in  any  way  be 
averted  or  mitigated.  For  this  he  must  examine  his  books 
afresh,  and  that  could  be  done  as  soon  as  he  returned  to  his 
counting-room.  The  elasticity  of  youth  and  a  kind  of  blind 
reliance  upon  the  chances  of  trade  stood  him  in  good  stead 
M  23 


266  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

in  contemplating  his  future,  which  did  not  look  so  black  as  it 
had  done  formerly.  If  the  worst  came  to  the  worst,  it  was 
but  being  a  small  merchant  instead  of  a  great  banker,  and 
there  was  consolation  in  the  thought  that  there  would  then  be 
no  objection  to  Katrine's  engagement  to  the  Professor. 

Affairs  wore  a  more  serious  aspect  when,  towards  evening, 
he  received  a  visit  from  a  young  man  in  his  employ,  upon 
whose  honesty  he  could  depend.  He  was  the  son  of  a  man 
who  had  been  one  of  his  father's  most  confidential  clerks.  He 
came  because,  as  he  said,  he  could  not  answer  it  to  his  con- 
science not  to  put  his  chief  and  benefactor. upon  his  guard. 
He  had  long  known  that  the  book-keeper  was  false  to  the 
interests  of  the  business,  and  that  he  was  even  engaged  in 
speculations  with  funds  that  could  hardly  be  rightly  come 
by.  He  himself  had  received  orders  to  make  certain  entries 
which  he  could  not  understand,  and  in  answer  to  his  ques- 
tions had  received  replies  which  had  strengthened  him  in 
his  suspicions  that  the  books  were  falsely  kept.  Nor  did  it 
look  well,  either,  to  have  the  book-keeper  receive  almost  daily 
letters  from  Herr  Fcinberg  that  were  not  filed  with  the  rest  of 
the  correspondence  of  the  house,  or  that  he  should  have  long 
private  conferences  with  Herr  Otto  Feinberg.  So  long  as 
his  chief  was  in  the  counting-room,  he  had  not  felt  it  his 
business  to  interfere,  but  in  his  absence  these  suspicious 
circumstances  forbade  him  to  be  silent  any  longer. 

Moritz  urged  him  to  tell  him  everything  that  had  come  to 
his  knowledge,  assuring  him  of  his  gratitude  even  although 
it  should  be  found  that  he  was  in  error.  The  young  fellow 
then  related  that  on  the  previous  evening  Feinberg  had  teen 
closeted  in  the  counting-room  with  the  book-keeper  until  far 
into  the  night,  and  that  to-day  various  changes  had  appeared 
in  the  books,  in  the  way  of  descriptions  of  stocks,  etc.,  that 
plainly  showed  they  had  been  made  in  Feinberg's  interest. 
They  consisted  mainly  of  an  exchange  of  perfectly  safe  paper 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  267 

for  what  Amberger  had  always  considered,  even  in  opposition 
sometimes  to  Feinberg,  as  unsafe,  and  would  really  be  of  little 
consequence  if  the  two  firms  continued  to  act  in  concert,  but 
would  be  ruinous  to  Amberger  if  any  division  should  occur 
between  them.  Moritz  had  no  doubt  that  Feiuberg  had  made 
use  of  his  absence  and  of  the  reputed  intimacy  of  the  two 
houses  to  cripple  his  former  associate ;  and  he  even  doubted 
whether  the  treacherous  book-keeper  could  be  called  to  account, 
since  he  could  plead  ignorance  of  any  possible  breach  between 
the  two  houses. 

Thus  much  was  ascertained, — that  he  could  not,  without  cul- 
pable neglect,,  resign  himself  any  longer  to  the  dolce  far  niente 
which  he  had  enjoyed  for  the  last  few  days',  and  which  had 
not  been  without  its  advantages,  since  it  had  helped  him  to 
become  more  resolved  and  self-reliant.  In  his  first  indigna- 
tion against  the  man  who  had  so  grossly  deceived  him,  he  sat 
down  at  Vogelstein's  desk  and  indited  a  letter  to  Feinberg,  iu 
which  he  entirely  relieved  his  mind.  He  required  an  imme- 
diate restoration  of  the  stocks  for  which  Feinberg  had  substi- 
tuted what  he  knew  to  be  worthless,  and  declared  all  further 
business  connection  with  him  dissolved, — concluding,  "  I  now 
understand  why  you  gave  me  time  for  reflection.  I  did  not 
need  it :  you  did.  Whatever  I  may  have  to  endure  from 
your  hostility,  I  will  never  again  consent  to  wear  the  unworthy 
fetters  which  I  regret  having  borne  so  long.  Begin  the  cam- 
paign :  I  am  ready  for  everything.  But  expect  no  mercy 
from  an  antagonist  whom  you  would  endeavour  to  trample 
under  foot  after  having,  by  his  aid,  attained  a  position  which 
you  intend  to  use  for  his  ruin." 

Without  reading  over  the  letter,  he  gave  it  to  the  young 
man  to  take  to  town,  directing  him  to  leave  it  that  very  even- 
ing at  Feinberg1  s  door.  He  himself  would  be  at  the  count- 
ing-room the  next  morning.  His  cheeks  plowed  as,  after  his 
clerk's  departure,  he  approached  Lena,  who  was  seated  by  the 


268  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

fountain,  engaged  in  shelling  a  basket  of  peas.  His  foot  was 
much  better,  and  he  limped  only  very  slightly. 

"  You  have  had  some\mportan.t  news?"  she  said,  looking  up. 

"  Most  important,"  he  replied,  his  agitation  vibrating  in  his 
voice.  "  Feinberg  is  acting  a  Judas'  part  towards  me.  He  has 
not  even  awaited  the  conclusion  of  the  truce,  but  has  broken 
into  my  stronghold  in  my  absence.  I  must  go  to  town  early 
to-morrow  morning." 

"  What  do  you  call  early  ?" 

"  I  must  be  in  my  counting-room  by  nine  o'clock." 

"  And  it  will  take  full  an  hour  to  walk  to  town." 

Moritz  sat  down  by  her,  and  took  a  handful  of  unshelled 
peas  from  her  basket.  He  opened  one  after  another  of  the 
pods, — rather  awkwardly,  to  be  sure.  Lena  looked  at  him  with 
a  smile. 

"  You  take  too  much  pains  with  them,"  she  said.  "  See 
how  easily  they  open  if  you  only  press  the  right  spot." 

He  leaned  towards  her,  and  watched  her  busy  fingers. 

"  Nothing  is  difficult  if  one  only  understands  how  to  do  it," 
he  said. 

"  Try,  then."  » 

"May  I  help  you?" 

"  As  much  as  you  please." 

He  soon  grew  expert,  and  the  basket  was  emptied. 

"  Now  you  will  relish  your  supper,"  Lena  remarked. 

"  The  last- 
She  sighed  almost  inaudibly. 

"  The  last  must  always  come." 

"  You  have  not  forgotten  your  promise  to  go  with  me  as  far 
as  the  town  ?"  he  asked,  after  a  slight  pause. 

"  Did  I  promise  ?" 

"  Oh,  you  would  not  break  your  word,  Lena  ?" 

"  But  if  your  foot  is  well, — and  it  seems  to  be  so, — you  will 
not  need  me." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  269 

"  If  you  say  that,  it  will  grow  alarmingly  worse ;  and  I 
really  do  limp  a  little  still." 

"  Well,  then,  if  I  really  promised " 

"  Oh,  thank  you !"    And  he  arose,  as  she  did. 

She  took  up  the  bowl  of  shelled  peas,  and  said,  "  Will  you 
not  carry  the  basket  foj*  me  ?" 

"  With  pleasure."     And  he  followed  her  to  the  house. 

Vogelstein  came  from  it  towards  them.  "  You  have  a  grand 
servant,"  he  said,  shaking  his  gray  head. 

"  And  he  has  no  wages,  either,"  she  said,  archly,  as  she 
took  the  basket  from  him  and  entered  the  house. 

"  Who  knows  ?"  he  called  after  her.  "  I  will  serve  like 
Jacob." 

The  evening  was  exquisitely  lovely.  The  little  family  sat 
together  till  a  late  hour.  Moritz  forced  himself  to  forget 
his  cares.  Lena  hummed  an  old  folk-song  in  a  low  tone,  and 
he  hummed  it  with  her.  She  sang  aloud,  and  he  joined 
in  a  powerful-'  second.  They  sang,  "  Count  the  stars  in 
heaven's  vault  shining,"  and  "Far  in  a  pleasant  valley  a 
mill-wheel  gaily  turns,"  all  through.  It  was  quite  pathetic 
to  hear  them  declaring  that  they  would  "  die  far  rather," 
and  "  all  would  then  be  still,"  and  really  feeling  as  if  the 
words  had  some  application  to  themselves,  although  they 
never  dreamed  of  dying,  and  would  far  rather  be  happy 
together.  It  rang  in  his  ears  after  he  had  retired  to  rest, 
that  "  Oh,  I  would  die  far  rather,  and  all  would  then  be 
still,"  until  it  really  was  still,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  and 
he  dropped  asleep. 

The  next  morning,  when  he  left  his  room,  Lena  appeared 
in  her  Sunday  costume.  "  I  shall  do  you  no  discredit  if  we 
are  seen  together,"  she  said  ;  "  my  mother  and  niy  grandfather 
have  given  their  consent  to  my  going  nearly  as  far  as  the 
town." 

The  widow's  coffee  and  biscuit  were  delicious,  and  Moritz 
23* 


270  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

had  an  excellent  appetite,  since  he  had  a  whole  hour's  tete-d- 
tete  with  Lena  iu  prospect.  He  thanked  his  hosts  for  their 
kindness,  and  would  have  kissed  Frau  Vogelstein's  hand,  but 
she  would  not  permit  it.  Nero's  shaggy  head  was  patted, 
and  they  crossed  the  bridge  and  walked  along  the  ditch, 
past  the  place  where  the  horse  had  shied,  and  out  upon  the 
moor. 

The  sun  was  quite  high  in  the  cloudless  sky,  but  the  air 
was  cool  and  refreshing ;  the  dew-drops  were  still  clinging  to 
the  bushes,  and  fell  like  rain  upon  Moritz's  feet  as  he  brushed 
past  them,  leaving  to  Lena  the  centre  of  the  narrow  path. 
How  lovely  she  was,  with  her  slender,  girlish  figure  and  her 
wealth  of  fair  hair !  He  offered  her  his  arm,  but  she  did  not 
accept  it ;  nor  would  she  admit  that  there  was  any  further 
need  of  his  being  supported  by  hers. 

This  was  rather  a  disappointment,  and  they  walked  along 
silently  for  awhile,  until  she  seemed  to  regret  that  she  had  so 
repulsed  him,  and  while  with  one  hand  she  gathered  up  her 
skirts  to  keep  them  from  the  dew,  she  let  the  other  hang  down 
by  her  side.  His  own  touched  it  as  they  walked,  and  he  began 
to  talk  gaily  enough,  his  fingers  the  while  enclosing,  as  if 
half  unconsciously,  the  little  hand  that  was  not  withdrawn. 
He  went  on  talking,  but  his  words  grew  more  and  more  con- 
fused ;  he  felt  that  it  was  so,  yet  she  did  not  ask  any  expla- 
nation. After  awhile  he  ceased  speaking,  and  they  walked 
along  silently  hand-in-hand,  amid  the  songs  of  the  moorland 
larks  and  the  humming  of  the  bees,  not  daring  to  look  each 
other  in  the  face. 

The  tile-kiln  was  not  very  far  distant.  On  the  edge  of  the 
moor  there  were  lying  huge  blocks  of  stone,  singly  and  in 
groups,  covered  with  moss,  and  forming  very  inviting  seats. 
"  Shall  we  not  rest  here?"  asked  Moritz. 

"No,  you  ought  to  be  early  in  town,"  Lena  replied;  "we 
must  not  loiter."  He  made  no  demur. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  271 

There  was  still  a  strip  of  sand  to  be  traversed  before  they 
reached  the  road,  along  which  people  were  passing,  and  where 
Moritz  saw  it  would  be  impossible  to  unburden  his  heart, 
which  he  must  do  before  they  parted.  "Lena,"  he  began, 
after  several  more  steps,  "  you  know  that  I  wrote  to  Feinb^rg 
yesterday." 

"  You  said  so,"  she  answered, — "  upon  business." 

"  Not  only  that." 

Her  hand  trembled  in  his,  but  the  other  drew  her  broad 
hat  down  over  her  face. 

"  I  gave  him  my  decision  with  regard  to  what  he  said  to 
me  the  day  before." 

"Indeed?" 

"  Yes,  Lena;  I  wrote  to  him  that  everything  was  at  an  end 
between  Sidonie  and  myself,  and  that  I  needed  no  time  for 
reflection  to  be  convinced  that  it  was  so." 

"  But  did  you  weigh  well  what  you  said,  Herr  Amberger  ? 
I  think  you  were  agitated  by  the  discovery  of  his  treachery." 

"  No,  Lena ;  that  only  hastened  my  reply.  My  mind  was 
entirely  made  up  beforehand, — had  been  made  up  some  time 
before,  I  assure  you." 

"  You  will  be  sorry  for  it  when  you  get  to  your  counting- 
room  and  find  how  many  annoyances  and  trials  await  you." 

He  pressed  her  hand.     "  I  shall  not  be  sorry." 

"  I  think  you  should  have  waited,"  she  said,  timidly. 

"  What  for,  Lena  ?"  he  asked,  gaining  courage  from  her 
shyness.  "All  delay  was  dangerous.  I  am  rejoiced  to  return 
to  the  town  a  free  man  ;  that  is " 

He  stooped  a  little,  to  look  beneath  her  hat,  which  shaded 
her  forehead  and  eyes.  Perhaps  she  did  not  see  this ;  at  all 
events,  she  did  not  raise  her  head. 

"  That  is,  Lena,"  he  said,  with  some  hesitation,  "  when  I 
say  a  free  man,  you  know  well,  in  a  certain  sense  that  is  far 
from  literally  true, — do  you  not?" 


272  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  I  know  nothing,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone,  and  her  head 
bent  still  lower,  although  he  imagined  that  a  smile  played 
about  her  mouth. 

He  hastily  raised  the  hand  that  he  held,  and  pressed  it  to 
his  lips.  She  would  have  snatched  it  from  him.  "  You  must 
not,"  she  said. 

He  refused  to  release  it.  "  I  shall  hold  you  fast,"  he  said 
softly  in  her  ear,  "  until,  Lena,  you  hear  all  I  have  to  tell  you. 
The  first  time  I  ever  saw  you,  you  awoke  within  me  sensations 
that  I  had  never  before  experienced,  and  in  these  last  happy 
days  I  have  clearly  learned  how  poor  I  was,  and  how  blest  I 
am  now  in  knowing  that  I  love, — love  from  my  very  heart. 
I  cannot  see  how  I  can  love  without  being  loved  in  return. 
And  if  you  will  love  me,  Lena,  nothing  will  be  hard  to  bear. 
I  can  meet  every  tempest  fearlessly.  So  tell  me,  dear,  that  I 
may  hope  that  you  care  a  little  for  me,  and  that  one  day  you 

will  be  mine,  dear,  dearest  Lena •" 

"  Oho  !"  a  manly  voice  near  them  called  out.  "  Here  you 
are !  This  is  delightful." 

They  started  and  looked  up  guiltily.  Absorbed  in  each 
other,  they  had  not  noticed  that  some  one  was  approaching ; 
and  now,  there  he  stood  just  before  them.  "  Herr  Professor!" 
they  both  exclaimed,  in  a  kind  of  terror. 

It  was  Schonrade.  In  their  flushed  faces  he  plainly  read 
that  his  presence  was  ill-timed,  and,  holding  out  a  hand  to  each, 
he  said,  in  excuse,  "I  see  I  intrude,  but  indeed  I  could  not 
turn  away  without  speaking." 

Lena  was  the  first  to  collect  herself.     "  If  we  had  known 

you  were  coming  to  the  Honeburg,  Herr  Professor "  she 

began. 

"  What,  then  ?  You  would  not  have  allowe  1  our  friend 
here  to  walk  alone  to  town  with  his  sprained  ankle !  I  have 
been  to  your  house,  and  heard  there  what  has  happened.  I 
am  so  sorry." 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  273 

"  Oh,  there  is  nothing  to  be  sorry  about,"  said  Amberger, 
not  quite  able  to  control  his  irritation  at  the  interruption. 
"  My  foot  is  quite  well." 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  Schb'nrade.  "  Your  few  days  of 
country  air  seem  to  have  been  of  great  benefit  to  you.  You 
are  looking  incomparably  better  than  when  I  bade  you  good- 
bye." 

Moritz  was  pleased  to  hear  this.  "  You  never  bade  me  good- 
bye, if  you  remember,"  he  replied,  with  a  smile,  "but " 

"  You  are  right,"  the  Professor  interrupted  him.  "  We 
parted  in  storm  and  rain,  not  in  the  best  of  humours.  Since 
then  the  weather  has  cleared  with  me, — and  here  too,  I  rather 
think,  eh?"  He  looked  meaningly  at  Moritz  and  Lena,  who 
cast  down  their  eyes.  "  Those  surprises  for  which  we  are  least 
prepared  are  often  the  pleasantest.  Well,  I  can  keep  a  secret." 

"  Under  certain  circumstances,  an  excellent  trait,"  Moritz 

remarked,  "  especially  when  those  most  interested "     He 

hesitated,  and  glanced  at  Lena's  blushing  face.     "  Why  did 
not  you  wait  three  minutes  longer?"  he  blurted  out. 

"  I  will  leave  you  this  instant,"  the  Professor  said,  "  and 
never  even  look  back." 

"  Then  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Lena.  "  If  I  guess  aright 
you  were  on  your  way  to  the  Honeburg,  and  I  must  return." 

"  You  promised  to  go  as  far  as  the  green  gate,"  Moritz 
eagerly  interposed. 

"  But  I  did  not  know  that  I  might  have  a  companion  on 
my  way  home,"  she  returned,  with  a  glance  entreating  silence. 

"  I  must  admit,  fair  chatelaine,  that  I  was  not  going  to  the 
ruin  on  your  account,"  said  the  Professor,  "  great  as  is  my 
pleasure  in  seeing  you  again.  My  visit  is  to  Herr  Amberger, 
with  whom  I  have  very  important  business.  I  arrived  last 
evening,  and,  not  wishing  to  impose  another  guest  upon  the 
Honeburg,  I  waited  until  this  morning.  I  did  not  anticipate 
meeting  you  upon  the  way." 
M* 


274  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

"  I  should  like  to  turn  round  and  go  back  whence  I  came 
•with  Fraulein  Lena  and  yourself,"  said  Moritz,  dolefully, 
"but " 

"  But  Herr  Amberger  has  pressing  business  in  the  town," 
the  girl  continued  his  sentence, — "  business  which  demands  his 
immediate  presence  there." 

"  The  young  man  seems  to  be  well  taken  care  of,"  the  Pro- 
fessor remarked,  drily. 

"  Unfortunately,  Fraulein  Lena  is  right,"  Moritz  said,  with 
a  laugh.  "  I  must  go  to  my  counting-room,  where,  it  is  to  be 
feared,  most  unpleasant  revelations  await  me." 

"  It  is  all  the  more  important,  then,  that  I  should  speak 
with  you,"  the  Professor  insisted.  "  I  propose  that  you  per- 
mit me  to  accompany  you  the  remainder  of  the  way,  in  spite 
of  your  present  aversion  to  my  society,  and  that  Fraulein 
Lena " 

"  Can  find  her  way  back  to  the  Honeburg  alone,"  she  in- 
terposed, turning  away.  "  Adieu,  Herr  Professor !  Adieu, 
Herr— 

"  Stay  !"  cried  Moritz,  barring  her  way.  "  Not  so  fast, — I 
must  have  your  blind  in  token  of  farewell, — your  hand,  Lena  1" 

"  Take  it.     And  now— 

"  May  I  interpret  as  I  please  ?"  he  asked,  in  a  low  voice. 

He  felt  her  hand  press  his,  and  as  she  raised  her  eyes  for 
an  instant,  he  seemed  to  look  into  her  very  soul.  "  I  am 
brave  now,  Lena,"  he  said. 

"  And  now,"  and  she  curtsied  to  the  Professor,  "  adieu." 

"  We  shall  see  you  soon  again,"  the  latter  replied,  as  he 
offered  his  arm  to  Moritz. 

The  girl  hurried  away.  Amberger  turned  slowly  towards 
the  town.  "  Is  all  right  ?"  Schbnrade  asked. 

"  I  hope  so,"  Moritz  replied.  "  Are  you  still  of  the  same 
mind  with  regard  to  Katrine?" 

"  Of  course." 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  275 

"  "Well,  then,  I  may  make  you  my  confidant." 
"And  I  offer  my  heart-felt  congratulations.     But  now  we 
must  cry  truce  to  all  thoughts  of  love  for  awhile,  and  sternly 
address  ourselves  to  business.     Give  me  your  undivided  atten- 
tion.    There  is  a  railway " 

Amberjrer  was  soon  an  easier  listener. 


CHAPTER    XXL 

"  I  CANNOT  imagine  why  mamma  suddenly  seems  so  irri- 
tated with  our  dear  Professor,"  Lilli  remarked  to  her  lover. 
"  It  is  really  no  such  great  crime  for  him  to  love  Katrine.  Even 

if  it  were  her  own  daughter "  A  faint  blush  appeared  on 

her  cheek,  at  the  thought  that  this  had  once  not  seemed  so 
very  improbable. 

Mr.  Fairfax  nodded  carelessly.  "  Have  you  heard  the 
strange  report  there  is  about  him  ?" 

"  No  ;  what  is  it  ?" 

"  They  say  he  is  the  son  of  a  very  wealthy  Count  von  Glei- 
chenau." 

"  Ah !" 

"  It  certainly  is  true  that  he  frequents  the  Count's  house 
as  if  he  belonged  there." 

"  But  his  name  is  Schonrade,  which  is  the  same  as  Bella- 
rota,  and  Katrine  has  told  me  that  his  mother  is  Camilla 
Bellarota,  the  former  prirna  donna,  whom  Sidonie  and  her 
mother  have  lately  been  to  see." 

"  Yes,  Camilla  Bellarota  is  his  mother." 

"But  how " 

"  My  dear  child,  Count  von  Grleichenau  may  have It 

really  is  no  affair  of  ours.  I  only  tell  you  what  I  hear." 


276  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  Do  you  know  the  Count  ?" 

"I  saw  him  yesterday  at  a  business  meeting,  where  pro- 
posals were  made  to  our  firm.  A  really  hopeful  railway 
project  was  under  consideration." 

"  Is  my  father  concerned  in  it?" 

"  Not  yet.  I  think  he  is  busied  with  other  things.  The 
Feinbergs  are  laying  siege  to  him.  I  don't  know, — those  men 
do  not  greatly  please  me.  He  ought  to  be  cautious." 

"  Can  you  not  warn  him?" 

"  It  is  scarcely  my  place  to  do  so.  My  estimate  of  them  is 
not  sufficiently  well  founded.  Although  the  behaviour  of  the 
head  of  the  firm  to  Moritz  Amberger " 

"What  about  it?" 

"Why,  there  are  very  damaging  reports  in  circulation. 
Amberger  has  dismissed  his  principal  book-keeper,  and  writes 
to  several  business  friends  here  that  the  man  was  bribed  to 
defraud  him.  He  claims  certain  papers  as  his  property  that 
Feinberg  was  disposing  of  here.  At  all  events,  Feinberg  is 
leaving  no  stone  unturned  to  undermine  Moritz's  credit  and  to 
ruin  him,  and  has  appealed  to  your  father  for  aid  in  certain 
matters." 

"And  all  because  the  match  is  broken  off,  I  suppose." 

"  Yes ;  but  Madame  Feinberg  runs  about  telling  every  one 
that  Fraulein  Sidonie  herself  dismissed  Amberger ,  and  it  is 
easy  enough  to  see  why." 

"You  mean  about  Ilerr  von  Fuchs?" 

"  It  is  very  evident  that  Sidonie  accepts  his  attentions.  He 
goes  everywhere  with  her  and  her  mother." 

"  Yes,  he  always  comes  here  with  them.  He  must  have  a 
great  deal  of  time  to  spare." 

"  He  has  all  his  time  to  spare.  A  fine  son-in-law  for 
Feinberg  he  will  be ;  he  will  soon  set  his  money  circu- 
lating." 

'  But  how  can  Sidonie  be  so  infatuated?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  277 

"  Perhaps  she  was  not  in  earnest  at  first.  She  is  a  thorough 
coquette.  Every  one  is  talking  about  them  now,  and  Herr 
von  Fuchs  is  the  very  man  to  tunr  this  to  his  own  advantage, 
and  compel  her  to  an  engagement.  Is  not  that  Herr  Otto 
Fnnberg?  He,  too,  is  breathing  threatenings  and  slaughter 
against  Amberger,  because  he  did  not  favour  his  suit  with 
Friiulein  Katharina." 

He  was  right.  It  was  Herr  Otto  Feinberg  coming  towards 
them,  with  his  hands  in  his  coat-pockets  and  his  hat  on  the 
back  of  his  head,  as  usual.  He  immediately  asked  after  the 
Councillor,  and,  when  he  heard  that  he  was  not  yet  at  home, 
hoped  he  might  see  the  lady  of  the  house. 

Frau  Wiesel  had  been  suffering  from  a  renewal  of  her  ner- 
vous attacks.  When  she  was  not  occupied  with  her  dress, 
which,  fortunately,  disposed  of  a  large  part  of  her  time,  she  re- 
clined upon  a  sofa,  turning  over  the  leaves  of  a  novel,  or  read- 
ing scraps  from  newspapers  and  magazines.  Intimate  friends, 
like  Otto  Feinberg,  she  received  without  more  ado  than  lan- 
guidly raising  her  head  from  among  the  cushions. 

"  Have  you  had  letters  ?"  she  asked. 

He  answered,  with  a  toss  of  his  head  and  a  smack  of  his 
lips, — a  characteristic  habit, — "  Plenty  of  letters,  but  the  news 
is  scanty  and  not  greatly  to  be  relied  upon." 

"  Amberger  is  still  afloat  ?" 

"  Still  afloat.  It  is  inconceivable  how  he  has  kept  up  for 
the  last  three  days.  My  brother  was  convinced  that  he  would 
sink  at  the  first  blow,  and  he  knows  his  affairs  even  better  than 
the  young  man  himself.  But  he  has  suddenly  developed  re- 
sources of  which  we  had  no  idea.  Until  now  he  seems  to  have 
redeemed  all  his  paper  with  perfect  ease.  The  question  is, 
how  long  it  will  last.  To  operate  efficiently,  we  must  know 
from  what  source  he  derives  his  means,  and  how  soon  it  will 
be  exhausted.  I  have  had  several  clues,  as  I  thought,  but 
they  have  thus  far  led  to  nothing.  If  the  Councillor  would 

24 


278  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

only  display  a  little  more  energy.  But  lie  has  suddenly  be- 
come prudence  itself." 

"  Has  my  husband  really  any  influence?" 

"  He  could  gain  it  if  he  chose.  He  delays  proceedings  that 
would  certainly  cause  Amberger  extreme  embarrassment  and 
help  to  run  the  fox  to  earth.  But  what  annoys  my  brother 
still  more  is,  that  the  Councillor  has  lately  refused  the  unlimited 
credit  he  has  always  accorded  him.  He  has  suddenly  grown 
very  careful  in  the  examination  of  securities,  almost  offensively 
exact.  He  has  even  refused  some  of  our  best  paper,  in  con- 
sequence, I  believe,  of  a  stupid  report  circulated  by  Amberger 
or  his  unknown  friend.  As  he  stands  high  on  'Change  here, 
we  are  very  much  crippled  by  his  want  of  confidence.  If  you, 
madame,  would  try  to  interest  him  more  in  our  behalf — 

"  I  ?  You  know  that  in  all  business  matters  my  husband 
admits  of  no  advice  or  interference.  I  have  said  what  I 
could  ;  but  what  can  a  poor  invalid  do  ?" 

Feinberg  stroked  his  pointed  chin.  "  Something  decisive 
must  be  done  if  we  would  avoid  defeat.  In  his  last  letter  my 
brother  says  he  suspects  that  Amberger  has  some  scheme  in 
hand  from  which  he  looks  for  entire  rehabilitation.  His 
manoeuvres  thus  far  seem  senseless  enough ;  but  there's  no 
knowing  what  may  come  of  them.  It  is  possible  that  he  only 
wants  to  inspire  confidence  in  his  resources ;  but  he  may  have 
some  project  in  view  that  has  been  hatched  in  a  more  brilliant 
brain  than  his  own." 

"  Is  Professor  Schonrade  there  still  ?"  the  Councillor's  wife 
asked,  after  a  pause. 

"  He  is  there  still,"  Feinberg  replied,  in  a  tone  of  annoy- 
ance. "  We  cannot  make  out  that  man.  His  betrothal  to 
Katharina  Amberger  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  whole  difficulty. 

If  he  had  been  free !  My  niece  Sidonie  took  a  fancy  to 

him,  and  my  brother  could  easily  have  shaken  off  Moritz 
Amberger." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  279 

Frau  Wiesel  listened  eagerly.  "  For  the  sake  of  the  Pro- 
fessor ?" 

"  I  think  so." 

"  And  Sidonie  ?" 

Feinberg  smacked  his  lips  again.  "  Really,  I  scarcely  know 
what  I  am  saying.  Mere  fancies  of  mine, — half-spun  schemes, 
no  more.  But  the  fact  is  that  this  Professor  is  a  dangerous 
man.  The  money,  it  is  true,  that  Moritz  has  so  suddenly  at 
his  command,  cannot  come  from  his  pocket.  I  know  he  has 
no  property ;  and  a  simple  Professor  cannot  possess  much 
credit." 

The  Councillor's  wife  had  grown  thoughtful.  Otto  Fein- 
berg  had  dropped  a  word  whicn,  in  spite  of  his  eager  denial 
of  any  knowledge,  was  quite  worth  remembering  for  private 
consideration.  If  Sidonie  were  concerned,  it  explained  much 
in  the  conduct  of  the  Feinberg  ladies  that  had  seemed  in- 
comprehensible. Self-deceived  as  she  was,  she  was  ready 
to  blame  others  for  a  want  of  honesty  in  their  intercourse 
with  her,  although  she  had  no  claim  upon  their  confi- 
dence. She  would  so  like  to  think  that  all  her  annoyance 
arose  from  feeling  herself  deceived  by  those  whom  she  had 
trusted. 

When  the  Councillor  came  home  and  learned  from  Mr. 
Fairfax  and  Lilli,  in  the  garden,  that  Feinberg  was  with  his 
wife,  he  made  a  wry  face.  "  You  were  right,"  he  said  to  his 
son-in-law,  "  in  advising  caution  :  the  Feinbergs  seem  to  have 
gone  very  far, — how  far  is  not  known  at  present."  And  he 
went  into  the  house  without  waiting  for  a  reply. 

His  reception  of  his  guest  was  more  formal  than  usual. 
"Have  you  heard  the  latest  news?"  he  asked,  as  Feinberg 
began  to  talk  of  business. 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Moritz  Amberger,  after  dismissing  his  chief  book-keeper, 
has  denounced  him  to  the  public  authorities." 


280  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Feinberg  started.     "  Is  lie  mad  ?" 

"Why  mad?" 

"  I  should  think  he  would  hardly  like  to  have  all  the  world 
cognizant  of  his  most  private  affairs ;  and  you  know  that  what- 
ever is  brought  into  court " 

"  Gets  into  the  newspapers,"  Wiesel  concluded  the  sentence, 
stroking  his  smooth  chin. 

"  Certainly." 

"  Hm  !     He  must  feel  very  secure,  then." 

"  Do  not  believe  that,  my  dear  Councillor ;  on  the  contrary, 
it  is  the  recklessness  of  despair ;  there  could  be  nothing  worse 
for  him." 

"  It  may  be  so.  But  in  the  letter  I  saw, — not  addressed  to 
me,  it  is  true " 

"  What  did  it  say  ?" 

"  Oh,  some  odd  things.  The  man  seems  very  confident. 
There  is  a  talk  of  a  large  undertaking, — and  there  are  ugly 
stories." 

"  Ugly  stories  ?"     The  thin  face  grew  longer  still. 

"  We  will  not  forestall  judgment.  What  I  wanted  to  say 
to  you  is,  that — hm !— it  seems  to  be  taken  rather  ill  of  your 
brother  that  he  took  the  man  into  his  service  at  an  unusually 
high  salary  immediately  after  Moritz  Amberger  had  dismissed 
him." 

Feinberg  started.     "  And  the  inference  is ?" 

The  Councillor  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  I  do  not  know  ; 
but  your  brother  and  Moritz  were  formerly  the  most  intimate 
business  friends,  and  it  is  not  usual  in  such  cases " 

"  My  brother's  reason  for  breaking  with  him  is  well  known, 
I  think,"  Feinberg  interrupted  him.  "  His  insulting  with- 
drawal from  his  betrothal ' 

"  Hm  !  There  are  several  opinions  on  that  head.  Many 
say  that  Fraulein  Sidonie  dismissed  him,  and  by  letter,  too, 
from  here." 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  281 

"  Because  his  conduct  made  a  continuance  of  the  engage- 
ment impossible." 

The  Councillor  seemed  to  have  but  little  desire  to  pursue 
the  conversation  further ;  he  opened  a  small  cabinet  and  took 
out  a  box  of  cigars.  "  Will  you  smoke  ?"  he  asked. 

Feinberg  declined.  "I  should  like  to  know,"  he  said, 
returning  to  the  subject,  "  what  conclusion  you  individually 
draw,  my  dear  Councillor,  from  the  fact  that  my  brother  has 
engaged  a  competent  book-keeper,  of  whose  possible  delin- 
quencies he  could  not  have  the  slightest  knowledge?" 

Wiesel  had  lighted  a  wax  taper,  and  was  taking  a  great  deal 
of  time  to  light  his  cigar  by  it.  "  Are  you  sure  you  will  not 
smoke?"  he  asked,  evasively. 

"  By-and-by,  perhaps.  If  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  answer 
my  question " 

"  1  think  I  gave  no  opinion,"  the  Councillor  said,  still 
evading  an  answer. 

Feiuberg  persisted.  "  You  certainly  mentioned  certain  facts 
in  connection  with  each  other  that  you  seemed  to  think " 

The  Councillor  puffed  out  volumes  of  smoke,  and  rejoined, 
"Will  it  satisfy  you  if  I  assure  you  that  I  really  have  no 
opinion  in -the  matter?  Amberger  has  claimed  as  his  own — 
whether  justly  or  not  I  cannot  say — certain  papers  that  are  at 
present  in  your  brother's  hands,  and  the  book-keeper  is  accused 
of  having  contrived  their  transfer.  Doubtless  your  brother, 
my  respected  friend,  will  explain  clearly  how  he  came  into 
possession  of  the  papers  in  question — doubtless  !  But  you  can 
easily  understand  that  for  the  present  I  am  only  a  spectator, — 
you  can  readily  comprehend  this." 

Feinberg  looked  irritated  and  annoyed.  "  If  that  is  the 
case,  I  might  have  spared  myself  the  trouble  of  coming  here 
to-day,"  he  said,  taking  his  hat.  "  My  brother  thought  he  had 
a  right  to  more  confidence ;  he  will  be  surprised  to  find  you 
confine  yourself  to  the  part  of  a  spectator ;  fee  relied  upon  your 

24* 


282  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

active  support  on  'Change.  Fortunately,  he  does  not  lack 
friends,  and  I  have  no  desire  to  interest  you  in  his  favour  if 
you  are  at  all  disposed  to  hold  back.  I  must  remind  you, 
however,  that  among  business  men  it  is  my  turn  to-day  and 
yours  to-morrow.  Ignaz  may  choose  to  play  the  part  of  spec- 
tator some  day." 

"  Pray  assure  him  of  my  unaltered  esteem,"  the  Councillor 
said,  courteously  ;  "  I  should  be  sorry  to  be  misunderstood 
by  him  in  any  way." 

Just  then  Frau  Feinberg  and  her  daughter  were  announced. 
Herr  von  Fuchs  accompanied  the  ladies.  The  Councillor's 
wife  arose,  with  a  sigh,  to  receive  them ;  she  looked  weary  and 
vexed.  Otto  Feinberg  took  his  leave. 

"  I  am  come  to-day  to  see  your  good  husband,"  Madame 
Feinberg  said,  after  the  first  greetings.  "  May  I  have  a  few 
moments'  conversation  with  you,  my  dear  Councillor?" 

Wiesel  bowed. 

"  I  will  not  disturb  you,"  said  his  wife.  "  Come  with  me 
to  the  pavilion,  Sidonie." 

"  No  secrets,"  Frau  Feinberg  called  after  them,  "  no  se- 
crets, I  assure  you ;  only  not  in  the  presence  of  the  young 
people " 

"  Permit  me  also  to  withdraw,"  said  the  Councillor's  wife. 
"  I  am  not  curious."  Herr  von  Fuchs  gallantly  offered  her 
his  arm,  and  Sidonie  followed  with  Mr.  Fairfax  and  Lilli. 

Madame  Feinberg  seated  herself  on  a  sofa,  and  the  Coun- 
cillor took  a  chair  opposite  her.  "  What  can  I  do  for  you, 
madame?"  he  inquired. 

"  Oh,  nothing  of  any  great  importance,"  she  said,  easily. 
"  I  wanted  to  ask  a  favour  for  one  of  my  friends." 

"  Pray  let  me  hear  how  I  can  be  of  service." 

"  It  will  not  cost  you  anything  beyond  a  few  words  of 
recommendation.  I  wish  some  suitable  position  for  a  man 
of  excellent  family  and  great  natural  talent, — also,  if  I  am  not 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  283 

much  mistaken,  of  extensive  information  and  distinguished 
social  ability." 

Wiesel  played  with  the  seals  dangling  at  his  watch-chain. 

"  A  suitable  position, — ha  !  hm  ! May  I  ask,  madame, 

what  you  understand  by  that?" 

The  lady  furled  and  unfurled  her  fan.  "  Good  heavens  !" 
she  said,  smiling,  "  I  should  think  there  could  be  no  doubt 
about  that.  A  suitable  position  is,  of  course,  some  office  of 
distinction,  with  an  income  corresponding  to  one's  needs." 

"  The  needs  of  human  beings  are  so  various,  madame." 

"  Of  course  !  Well,  then,  my  dear  Councillor,  we  will  as- 
sume that  these  needs  are  not  the  most  modest  of  their 
kind.  I  speak  of  a  man  belonging  by  birth  to  the  privileged 
classes,  and  who  cannot  conform  his  life  to  limited  means. 
Imagine,  then,  his  possible  connection  with  a  family  sufficiently 
wealthy  indeed  to  attach  no  great  importance  to  the  amount 
of  his  income,  but  who  would  nevertheless  like  to  see  him  in 
a  position  commanding  means  enough  to  secure  him  a  certain 
amount  of  respect  in  business  circles.  Now  you  perfectly 
understand?" 

He  assented,  gently  nodding  his  head.  "  Will  you  inti- 
mate more  distinctly,  madame,  in  what  line  I  can  serve  you? 
I  am  a  merchant  and  a  banker.  My  influence,  if  I  have  any, 
is  limited." 

"  Not  in  the  direction  where  it  will  serve  me,"  she  hastily 
remarked.  "  You  are  not  only  concerned  in,  but  at  the  head 
of,  various  companies,  and  there  are  new  undertakings  con- 
templated. I  hear  something  of  a  new  bank,  with  an  immense 
amount  of  capital.  You  will,  of  course,  have  the  disposal  of 
many  profitable  places  among  the  directors  or  managers  ;  and, 
even  if  you  can  do  nothing  yourself,  you  have  such  influen- 
tial friends.  A  salary  of  five  or  six  thousand  thalers  would 
do,  with  a  share  in  the  yearly  profits.  As  I  said  before,  the 
pecuniary  compensation  is  of  less  importance  than  a  position 


284  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

in  the  commercial  world.  I  am  sure  you  will  do  everything 
you  can  to  help  me." 

The  Councillor's  face  still  wore  the  same  friendly  but  un- 
meaning smile  as  at  first.  "  The  young  gentleman  who  has 
the  honour  to  be  under  your  protection  is,  I  suppose,  well 
skilled  in  commercial  affairs  ?"  he  asked,  apparently  quite 
innocently. 

Madame  Feinberg  looked  up  from  her  fan  in  surprise. 

"  How  could  he  be  ?  I  told  you Good  heavens  !  since 

when  has  it  been  necessary  to  be  so  qualified  for  such  offices  ? 
The  man's  superior  intelligence  will  teach  him  in  a  very  short 
time  all  that  it  is  necessary  he  should  know.  Surely  I  am 
right  ?" 

"  Most  probably,"  Wiesel  replied,  settling  himself  in  his 
chair.  "  You  know  the  world,  madame  ;  I  am  only  a  little — 
a  very  little — surprised  that  you  do  me  the  great  honour  of 
applying  to  me,  when  your  husband  possesses  at  least  as 
much  influence " 

"  Oh,  there  is  a  reason  for  that,"  she  said, — "  a  very  good 
reason.  My  husband  would  take  the  greatest  pleasure  in 
being  of  service  to  you  in  a  like  case,  but  in  this  particular 
instance  he  does  not  wish  to  be  the  one  to  whom  Herr 
von — the  young  man  owes  his  position.  I  cannot  explain 
myself  more  clearly  to-day,  my  dear  Councillor,  and,  after  a 
little,  you  will  not  need  any  explanation.  I  pray  you  be  con- 
tent with  my  mysterious  hints,  leave  my  husband  out  of  the 
question,  and  regard  this  as  a  matter  in  which  I  sololy  am  in- 
terested. There  will  be  no  danger  of  any  want  of  gratitude 
for  your  kindness  on  my  husband's  part." 

She  held  out  her  hand  to  him  as  she  spoke,  and  he  did  not 
neglect  to  carry  it  to  his  lips.  "'No  guerdon  at  your  hands 
I  ask,' "  he  quoted,  without  thinking  how  little  the  quotation 
suited  his  desire  to  be  especially  courteous.  "  Of  course,  as 
soon  as  occasion  offers,  I  shall,  in  spite  of  the  multitude  of 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  285 

such  applications  that  are  made  to  me,  do  all  that  I  can  to 
fulfil  your  wishes.  You  cannot  doubt  this.  May  I  now  ask 
the  name  of  the  promising  young  man  ?" 

Madame  Feinberg  smiled  sweetly  behind  her  fan.  "  Of 
course,"  she  said,  "you  must  know  who  he  is.  Do  you  not 
guess  ?  Herr  von  Fuchs  possesses  every  qualification  to  make 
him  worthy  of  my  recommendation." 

Wiesel  had  suspected  who  the  man  was,  but  he  judged  it 
best  to  feign  astonishment.  "  Herr  von  Fuchs  ?"  he  asked, 
sitting  erect.  "  The  same  Herr  von  Fuchs  who " 

"  Whom  we  have  introduced  to  you  before,  and  who  accom- 
panies us  hither  to-day.  A  most  charming  young  fellow." 

"  No  doubt,  no  doubt " 

"  A  cultivated  man,  who  can  talk  well  upon  any  subject." 

"  Certainly  !     But " 

"But?" 

Wiesel  looked  meaningly  at  the  eager  lady,  and  appeared  to 
reflect  whether  or  not  to  speak  out.  At  last  he  said,  drily, 
"  Do  you  know  the  amount  of  his  debts,  madame  ?" 

She  seemed  amazed.     "  His  debts  ?     No." 

"  Nor  do  I,  madame.     And  I  have  little  desire  to  know." 

"  Herr  Councillor " 

"  Which,  however,  does  not  in  the  least  prevent  me  from 
thinking  him  a  most  courteous  cavalier,  and,  upon  your  recom- 
mendation, a  very  talented  man." 

Again  she  opened  and  shut  her  fan.  "  And  after  all,  my 
dear  Councillor,  what  are  a  few  thousands,  when  the  man 
could  not  possibly  have  a  very  extensive  credit " 

Wiesel  put  his  head  on  one  side.  "  Yes,  madame  ;  but  if 
the  gentleman  with  a  limited  credit  has  gone  so  far,  what 
would  he  do  with  unlimited  credit  ?  If  I  understand  Herr 
von  Fuchs  aright,  he  is  one  of  those  who  always  need  more 
than  they  possess.  Such  people  are  not  to  be  trusted  with  a 
great  deal,  madame." 


286  THE   GREEN  GATE, 

Madame  Feinberg  moved  uneasily  in  her  chair.  "  But 

Sidonie  is  our  only  child "  slipped  out  before  she  was 

aware  of  it. 

"Oh,  Frilulein  Sidonie?"  Wiesel  exclaimed,  apparently  all 
amazement.  "  Forgive  me,  madame  ;  I  never  dreamed " 

"  Good  heavens  !  what  have  I  said  ?"  she  interrupted  him, 
actually  growing  pale.  "  Forget  what  I  said,  Herr  Councillor; 
forget  it  entirely." 

"  Be  assured  of  my  entire  discretion,"  he  replied. 

"  There  is  a  faint  possibility,"  she  said  ;  "  nothing  more.  I 
do  not  even  know  whether  Sidonie — but  a  mother,  you  know 
— my  eyes  are  everywhere,  of  course " 

"  Of  course,  madame,"  he  said,  soothingly. 

"  No  one  must  suspect " 

"  No  one.     I  have  heard  nothing ;  I  know  nothing " 

"  And  if  there  should  be  any  opening,  you  will- 


"  Hm !  hm  !  Certainly.  I  should  like  to  show  your  husband 
how  glad  I  am  to  be  of  service  to  him,  where  such  service  is 
consistent  with  my  principles."  And  he  bowed  low. 

Frau  Feinberg  thanked  him  with  a  cordial  pressure  of  his 
hand.  He  offered  her  his  arm,  and  they  walked  through  the 
garden  to  the  pavilion,  where  Herr  von  Fuchs  was  the  life  of 
the  little  party.  Sidonie  was  very  silent.  Perhaps  she  was 
hiding  her  own  light  under  a  bushel  that  her  companion's 
might  shine  all  the  more  brightly. 

After  a  little  while  the  guests  took  their  leave,  upon  the 
elder  lady's  plea  that  the  horses  would  be  tired  of  standing. 

"What  did  Madame  Feinberg  want  of  you?"  the  Coun- 
cillor's wife  asked  her  husband,  as  they  walked  back  from  the 
garden  gate  to  the  pavilion. 

Wiesel  replied  by  the  question,  "  What  do  you  think  of 
Herr  von  Fuchs?" 

"  Oh,  he's  agreeable  enough,"  she  answered,  in  an  indifferent 
tone.  "Why?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  287 

He  half  closed  his  eyes,  with  a  sly  expression.  "  Do  you 
suspect  nothing?" 

Her  attention  was  roused.  "  Is  there  anything  to  suspect?" 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  must  not  tell." 

She  began  to  understand.  "  What !"  she  exclaimed, — "  this 
Hcrr  von  Fuchs ?" 

"  Will  soon  be  one  of  the  directors  of  a  new  stock  company, 
with  a  salary  of  five  or  six  thousand  thalers,  and  a  large  pro- 
portion of  stock.  I  am  glad  you  like  him.  But  I  must  not 
tell, — you  understand,  my  dear?" 

His  wife  made  no  reply,  but  smiled  to  herself.  This  was 
news  to  occupy  her  mind. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

IN  the  mean  while,  Moritz  Amberger  and  Professor  Schb'n- 
rade  were  labouring  together  steadily  in  the  old  house  with 
the  cupola,  not  only  to  foil  Feinberg's  repeated  attacks,  but 
also  to  prepare  a  crushing  blow  in  return. 

The  Professor  had  come  just  at  the  right  time.  True,  there 
was  no  need  of  his  influence  in  determining  Moritz's  decision, 
— the  final  breach  had  been  boldly  made  between  the  young 
merchant  and  Sidonie;  the  Professor  could  but  confirm  his 
suspicions  as  to  the  reason  of  Sidonie's  journey  to  Berlin,  and 
her  attempt,  or  rather  her  mother's,  to  retract  her  withdrawal 
from  her  engagement  as  soon  as  she  knew  herself  disappointed 
with  regard  to  the  Professor.  Sidonie's  written  card  to  the  latter 
was  an  entire  refutation  of  all  slanderous  reports  concerning 
Moritz's  share  in  breaking  the  engagement,  and  gave  him  a 
certain  sense  of  security,  since  Feinberg  was  entirely  unaware 
of  this  evidence,  which  could  be  adduced  in  case  of  necessity. 


288  TEE  GREEN  GATE. 

The  Professor,  however,  was  able  to  encourage  and  assist  him 
in  his  counting-room  ;  the  plan  that  he  unfolded  to  him  there 
was  most  gratefully  received,  and  the  material  help  that  he 
proffered  him  tended  not  a  little  to  restore  the  self-reliance 
of  the  young  merchant,  who  had  almost  given  himself  up  for 
lost. 

In  this  last  particular  it  was  clearly  Schonrade's  duty  to 
act  with  the  greatest  caution.  The  Count  of  Gleichenau  had 
most  liberally  placed  large  sums  of  money  at  his  disposal, 
but  it  rested  entirely  with  himself  whether  or  not  they  should 
be  appropriated  to  Moritz's  use.  If  bankruptcy  could  not  be 
averted,  they  must  be  held  in  reserve  for  some  new  com- 
mercial undertaking.  Here  were  novel  and  difficult  tasks  for 
the  man  of  letters;  but  he  did  not  evade  them.  He  could 
not  determine  how  to  act  without  examining  and  judging  for 
himself. 

His  practical  good  sense  and  his  clear  analytic  brain  stood 
him  in  good  stead.  "  We  must  understand  matters  thor- 
oughly," he  said  to  Moritz,  who  would  have  been  content  with 
a  more  superficial  examination  of  his  affairs.  "  We  must  be 
sure  of  every  figure  if  we  would  secure  a  firm  basis  for  our 
operations.  However  bad  your  case  may  be,  we  ought  to 
know  precisely  how  bad  it  is ;  nothing  is  so  unwise  as  to 
attempt  to  gloss  over  the  real  state  of  affairs.  If  I  am  to 
advise  you,  I  must  be  sure  how  far  my  assistance  can  be  of 
service  to  you." 

Moritz  admitted  that  he  was  right.  He  consented  to  a 
thorough  revision  of  his  books  and  ledgers,  and  the  two  men 
sat  together  hard  at  work,  day  and  night,  labouring  to  throw 
some  light  upon  statements  that  had  evidently  been  intention- 
ally made  vague  and  confused.  The  Professor  put  himself  to 
school  to  learn  all  that  there  was  to  be  learned  of  the  mer- 
chant's trade,  and  Moritz,  his  teacher,  ,soon  found  the  advan- 
tage of  having  a  pupil  whom  nothing  less  than  a  full  and  free 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  289 

explanation  would  satisfy.  After  forty-eight  hours  of  assid- 
uous application — they  scarcely  took  time  either  to  eat  or  to 
sleep — they  were  able  to  compare  results  arid  strike  a  kind  of 
balance. 

Amberger's  case  was  certainly  bad,  but  it  was  not  quite 
hopeless.  The  Professor  might  feel  himself  justified  in  appro- 
priating to  his  assistance  the  ready  money  which  the  Count 
had  placed  at  his  disposal.  Of  course  it  would  not  suffice 
for  any  unexpected  misfortune  ;  but  there  was  an  equal  chance 
of  unforeseen  good  fortune. 

The  next  few  days  were  full  of  anxiety.  Feinberg  opened 
his  campaign  on  'Change,  after  spreading  abroad  the  news 
that  Moritz  had  no  chance  of  ever  becoming  his  son-in-law. 
This  was  quite  enough  to  induce  many  who  knew  how  depend- 
ent Amberger  was  upon  him,  and  who  attached  great  impor- 
tance to  the  friendship  of  the  millionaire,  to  turn  their  backs 
upon  the  young  merchant.  Significance  was  now  attached  to 
circumstances  before  considered  quite  natural, — as,  for  instance, 
the  absence  from  home,  first  of  Philip  Amberger,  and  then 
of  Frau  Barbara  and  her  daughter, — doubtless  after  insuring 
their  own  property  from  all  possible  harm  from  commercial 
fluctuations;  some  of  the  wisest  were  quite  sure  that  the  fall 
from  the  horse  was  contrived  to  arrange  for  Moritz  a  hiding- 
place  in  the  old  ruins  from  which  Feinberg  had  dragged  him ; 
he  had  suddenly  dismissed  his  chief  book-keeper  in  the  most 
insulting  manner,  to  weaken  the  value  of  the  man's  testimony 
against  him ;  and  various  other  nonsensical  statements  were 
made.  Of  course  Feinberg  did  nothing  to  gainsay  any  ru- 
mours of  the  kind. 

As  soon  as  he  gave  the  signal  on  'Change  for  the  attack,  all 
his  associates  gathered  about  him  and  proffered  their  services. 
Every  creditor  of  Amberger  clamoured  for  payment;  no  one 
would  trust  him  with  money  without  security  more  than  suffi- 
cient. Of  course  this  state  of  affairs  was  made  public.  The 
w  2o 


290  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

house  of  Ambcrger  had  had  a  reputation  for  such  solidity  that 
many  had  deposited  their  savings  with  the  firm  ;  the  counting- 
house  was  besieged  by  people  reclaiming  their  deposits.  It 
required  courage  indeed  to  brave  the  storm. 

Feinberg  had  been  sure  that  Morit-z  could  do  so  only  for  a 
few  days.  He  was  mistaken.  To  his  daily-increasing  surprise, 
he  redeemed  all  his  paper,  returned  whatever  deposits  were 
reclaimed,  and  was  ready  with  his  payments  on  'Change  even 
before  they  were  due.  The  millionaire  and  his  friends  shook 
their  heads ;  public  confidence  began  to  be  restored ;  many  who 
had  hastily  withdrawn  their  money  brought  it  back  again. 
Feinberg  was  in  a  rage,  and  sent  his  brother  to  Berlin  to  pre- 
pare fresh  plots.  While  he  was  away,  Amberger  had  the  in- 
solence to  publish  abroad  the  fact  of  the  unauthorized  exchange 
of  stocks, — nay,  even  to  denounce  to  the  authorities,  the  book- 
keeper who  had  effected  it,  and  thus  to  induce  an  investiga- 
tion which  might  easily  compromise  Ignaz  Feiuberg  himself. 
No  wonder  that  he  redoubled  his  efforts  to  overthrow  an 
opponent  whom  he  could  no  longer  despise. 

"  We  must  do  nothing  by  halves,"  said  the  Professor.  "As 
soon  as  the  tempest  lulls,  we  must  launch  our  vessel,  the  cargo 
of  which  shall  indemnify  us  for  the  loss  the  storm  has  caused." 
Moritz,  who  was  in  a  state  of  feverish  excitement,  all  the  more 
intense  because  he  was  forced  to  show  a  smiling  countenance 
to  the  world,  was  ready  for  everything,  but  wondered  whether 
it  would  be  best  for  him  to  begin  to  purchase  houses  as  if  for 
himself. 

"  Our  chief  aim,"  Schonrade  declared,  "  is  to  proceed  so 
quickly  in  the  matter  as  to  preclude  all  possibility  of  Fein- 
berg's  interference.  It  will  do  no  harm  if  people  do  talk. 
Moritz  Amberger  certainly  cannot  be  in  such  desperate  straits 
if  he  is  buying  houses."  They  resolved  at  last  to  begin  their 
work  simultaneously,  and  to  conclude  it  as  quickly  as  possible. 

The  Professor  called  upon  the  Burgomaster,  an  excellent 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  291 

and  honest  magistrate,  in  his  own  house,  informing  him  that 
he  had  expressly  avoided  going  to  his  office,  as  he  wished  to 
consult  him  about  a  matter  that  must  for  a  time  remain  a 
secret.  He  then  disclosed  to  him  that  the  Freiherr  von  Hone- 
burg  desired  to  purchase  the  meadows  and  the  tile-kiln  between 
the  ruin  and  the  green  gate,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  an 
industrial  project  that  would  be  of  vast  service  to  the  town. 
He  offered  to  fill  up  the  fosse  before  the  green  gate,  or  to  con- 
struct a  wide  bridge  over  it,  which  should  be  maintained  at  his 
own  cost,  and  to  establish  a  broad,  convenient  road  from  the 
highway  to  the  river,  which  should  be  free  to  all.  The  magis- 
trate acknowledged  the  advantages  that  would  ensue  to  the 
community,  and  accepted  the  offer.  The  town-architect  was 
called  into  council.  The  Professor  did  not  greatly  demur  at 
the  rather  extravagant  price  demanded  by  the  owners  of  the 
tile-kiln  for  their  land,  and  matters  were  soon  so  far  in  train 
that  there  would  shortly  be  no  further  need  of  secrecy. 

Meanwhile,  Moritz  had  been  negotiating  with  the  owners 
of  the  houses  and  land  in  the  narrow  street  leading  to  the 
green  gate.  Some  of  them  were  quite  willing  to  dispose  of 
their  property  for  a  moderate  price ;  but,  by  the  Professor's 
advice,  their  offers  were  not  closed  with  at  first,  the  purchaser 
stating  that  he  wished  to  buy  a  certain  number  of  houses  on 
this  street;  which  they  were,  should  be  determined  by  the 
terms  upon  which  they  were  offered.  In  this  way  it  was  easy 
to  learn  beforehand  whether  any  opposition  was  to  be  met  with, 
— a  necessary  precaution,  since  one  obstinate  landholder  would 
have  ruined  the  whole  scheme.  The  results  of  this  caution 
were  most  satisfactory :  each  householder  began  to  underbid 
his  neighbour  in  hopes  of  being  preferred,  and  before  a  week 
was  over,  Moritz  owned  as  many  bills  of  sale  as  there  were 
houses  in  the  street. 

Of  course  Feinberg  heard  of  these  doings.  At  first  he 
laughed,  as  at  the  folly  of  a  man  with  no  head  for  business. 


292  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

He  supposed  facetiously  that  Amberger  wished  to  divert  atten- 
tion from  the  public  squares,  where  he  was  playing  so  poor  a 
part,  to  a  side-street.  But  when  he  learned  that  property  had 
really  been  purchased,  he  laughed  no  more,  but  set  his  spies  to 
work,  and  soon  discovered  that  some  scheme  was  afloat,  which 
for  the  present  was  to  be  kept  extremely  private.  "  I  will  lay 
a  cuckoo-egg  in  his  nest,"  he  thought,  and  gave  orders  to  buy 
one  of  the  houses  in  the  middle  of  the  street.  There  was  not 
one  for  sale  :  Amberger  had  purchased  them  all.  Then  came 
the  surprising  piece  of  news  that  the  Professor  had  purchased 
the  meadows  and  the  tile-kiln  outside  of  the  town  for  the 
Freiherr  von  Hb'neburg.  It  had  all  been  kept  so  secret  that 
when  he  heard  of  it  the  transaction  was  concluded.  There 
was  no  doubt,  then,  that  Amberger  and  Schonrade  were  acting 
in  concert.  This  Professor  had  suddenly  come  to  be  a  very 
dangerous  man. 

"  And  now  we  can  take  a  little  holiday  with  clear  con- 
sciences," the  Professor  said,  one  afternoon,  when  the  papers 
completing  their  purchases  had  all  been  "  signed,  sealed,  and 
delivered."  "  Let  us  enjoy  a  little  relaxation." 

Moritz  was  overjoyed.  At  last  he  should  see  his  Lena 
again. 

As  they  walked  along  the  narrow  street,  they  examined  their 
property.  "In  a  short  time,"  Amberger  remarked,  "there 
will  not  be  one  stone  upon  another  here.  After  a  few  years  the 
men  who  walk  along  a  broad  pavement  lined  with  shop-win- 
dows in  this  place  will  hardly  believe  that  our  forefathers  and 
we  ourselves  could  have  been  content  with  so  narrow  a  pas- 
sage. I  am  still  nervous  lest  we  have  reckoned  without  our 
host,  and  should  have  difficulty  with  the  government  about 
our  charter. 

"  That  is  my  father's  affair,"  said  the  Professor;  "  we  may 
rest  assured,  I  think,  on  that  point." 

They  walked  through  the  archway  towards  the  bridge,  aud 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  293 

Schb'nrade,  looking  up,  called  attention  to  the  wide  slit  where 
the  portcullis  had  formerly  hung.  "  Those  were  odd  times," 
he  said,  pausing  for  a  moment,  "  when  they  kept  that  thing 
there  ready  to  crash  down  upon  the  skull  of  any  Freiherr  von 
HiJneburg  who  should  dare  to  ride  beneath  it." 

Moritz  laughed.  "And  now  some  peaceful  mason,  with 
his  pickaxe,  will  destroy  it  and  throw  it  stone  by  stone  into 
the  fosse.  We  must  have  a  good  photograph  taken  of  it 
first." 

"  It  is  perfectly  certain,  is  it  not,"  inquired  the  Professor, 
suddenly  turning  to  him,  "  that  this  old  gate  belongs  to  the 
fosse  and  to  the  bridge,  and  can  of  course  be  pulled  down  by 
•  the  town?  Nothing  has  been  said  about  that." 

"  To  the  fosse  and  to  the  bridge?"  Amberger  repeated,  sur- 
prised.    "  I  think  not." 
"What?" 

"  The  gate  belongs,  I  think,  to  the  Kbstling  house  there ; 
the  bridge  only  is  the  town's,  and  the  public  has  the  right 
of  way  through  the  gate." 

Schonrade  thrust  his  cane  into  the  ground.  "  The  gate  is 
private  property,  and  this  is  the  first  I  hear  of  it  ?" 

"  But  I  thought " 

"  A  fatal  error.  Of  what  use  will  the  meadow  and  the 
street  be  to  us  if  we  do  not  own  the  gate?" 

"  But  the  gate  is  worthless  to  its  owner.  He  will  surely 
be  delighted  to  have  us  pull  it  down  and  open  a  view  from  his 
windows  of  a  broad  road  and  the  railway  buildings.  I  took 
it  for  granted  there  could  be  no  difficulty  there." 

"  My  dear  friend !"    The  Professor  shook  his  head  and 

looked  anxious.  "  We  never  ought  to  take  anything  for 
granted  in  such  matters.  Worthless  or  not,  we  need  a  consent 
here  that  is  as  likely  to  be  withheld  as  to  be  accorded.  If  I 

had  dreamed  that  this  gate  belonged  to  a  private  house " 

"We  are  quite  in  time  for  all  that,"  said  Amberger,  irnpa- 
25* 


294  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

tiently  pursuing  his  way.     "  I  know  old  Kostling.    It  was  not 
worth  while  to  go  to  him  until  everything  else  is  settled." 

Scn.Qn.rade  did  not  stir.  "  Matters  of  such  importance 
should  not  be  postponed  an  hour  longer  than  is  absolutely 
necessary,"  he  said.  "Let  us  go  to  Herr  Kostling  imme- 
diately." 

"  Not  now !"  Moiitz  exclaimed,  dismayed  at  the  prospect  of 
any  longer  delay.  "  The  old  man  admits  no  one  at  this  hour, 
—  I  know  that.  He  is  very  eccentric,  but  good-natured  and 
amiable  enough  if  you  do  not  attempt  to  transgress  his  rules. 
How  could  he  possibly  object  to  the  tearing  down  of  that  ug.j 
old  gateway  ?  It  is  the  merest  formality  to  ask  his  consent. 
Do  not  spoil  our  delightful  evening.  I  will  attend  to  it  to- 
morrow." 

The  Professor  hesitated.  "  Are  you  sure  that  we  should 
not  be  admitted  at  this  hour  ?"  he  asked.  "  I  hoped  to  go  to 
Berlin  to-morrow  to  report  upon  the  affair,  and  to  have  nothing 
left  to  settle.  My  father  wrote  me  that  the  railway  project 
could  no  longer  be  kept  a  secret,  and  I  answered  him  in  good 
faith  that  the  application  for  a  charter  might  be  officially 
made  to  the  government.  Suppose  it  should  be  made  before 
we  are  sure  of  matters  here?" 

Amberger  repeated  his  assurance  that  there  was  nothing  to 
fear,  took  his  arm,  and  tried  to  lead  him  on.  "This  is  folly," 
Schonrade  declared.  "We  have  the  whole  evening  before  us; 
why  delay  this  matter  of  business  ?"  He  turned  round  and 
drew  Moritz  with  him  to  the  corner  formed  by  the  Kostling 
house  and  the  wall  of  the  gateway.  The  steps  were  broad  and 
much  worn.  "  It  has  not  always  been  so  quiet  and  deserted 
here  as  now,"  the  Professor  remarked,  tapping  them  with  his 
cane. 

After  they  had  rung  several  times,  the  door  opened  only  just 
far  enough  to  allow  the  head  of  an  old  woman  to  peer  out. 
"  What  do  the  gentlemen  want  ?"  a  harsh  voice  inquired. 


THE    GREEN   GATE.  295 

"  Herr  Professor  Schonrade,  from  Berlin,  wishes  to  see 
Herr  Kostling,"  Moritz  explained.  "  Pray  announce  us, 
Frau  Lutter.  My  friend  leaves  town  to-morrow." 

The  old  woman  glanced  at  the  stranger.  "  The  master  is 
in  the  garden,"  she  replied.  "  Herr  Amberger  knows  that  I 
dare  not  disturb  him  there." 

"  But  my  business  is  urgent,"  the  Professor  rejoined. 
"  Perhaps  you  will  make  an  exception " 

"No  business  is  so  urgent  that  it  cannot  wait  a  single  day," 
she  replied,  composedly.  "  The  gentleman  may  be  in  a  hurry, 
but  we  are  not." 

"  Will  you  not  ask  ?" 

"  There  is  nothing  to  ask.  I  know  my  duty,  and  it  is  plain 
enough.  To-morrow  noon,  gentlemen,  to-morrow."  And  the 
door  was  shut  in  their  faces. 

"  There!  was  I  right?"  Moritz  asked,  triumphantly. 

"  At  any  rate,  I  shall  not  have  to  reproach  myself  with 
procrastination,"  said  the  Professor,  slowly  descending  the 
steps  with  downcast  looks. 

As  they  were  crossing  the  bridge  they  saw  Herr  Kostling 
taking  his  walk  in  his  garden.  The  cats  were  following  him 
as  before,  waving  their  tails  and  now  and  then  humping  their 
backs.  "  I  greatly  fear,"  the  Professor  remarked,  in  a  low  tone, 
"  that  that  eccentricity  will  not  be  easily  managed.  I  mistrust 
a  lover  of  cats  :  he  is  always  apt  to  partake  of  their  nature." 

"  He  is  not  a  bad  old  fellow,"  Moritz  said,  confidently, 
•'only  you  must  know  how  to  deal  with  him,  and  not  intrude 
upon  him  when  he  wishes  to  be  alone.  Hermits  have  strange 
tastes.  Cats  are  always  the  special  favourites  of  old  maids, 
are  they  not  ?  And  why  should  not  old  bachelors  prefer  them 
too  ?" 

"  Has  he  never  been  married?" 

"  No.  There  is  some  story  of  an  unhappy  love-affair  ;  but 
no  one  really  knows  anything  about  it.  I  have  never  known 


296  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

him  except  as  we  see  him  to-day.  I  believe  he  is  hardly  sixty, 
yet  he  looks  as  old  as  Methuselah."  He  began  to  whistle  a 
merry  tune ;  with  every  step  he  grew  gayer  and  more  restless. 
The  thought  of  seeing  Lena  again  would  have  driven  any 
anxious  care  from  his  mind,  and,  after  the  hard  labour  of  the 
last  week,  his  sares  were  no  longer  very  anxious.  Sanguine 
as  he  was,  the  relief  from  his  entanglements  and  the  prospect 
of  a  few  happy  hours  were  enough  to  flood  all  his  future  with 
rosy  light.  The  green  gateway  might  have  been  far  narrower 
and  gloomier  than  it  was,  without  depressing  his  spirits. 

He  induced  his  friend,  who  was  still  grave  and  thoughtful, 
not  to  pursue  the  direct  path  to  the  Vogelstein  garden,  but  to 
make  a  detour  and  come  upon  it  from  behind,  so  as  to  sur- 
prise the  inmates  of  the  ruins.  They  reached  the  bridge  un- 
observed, and  Moritz  sang  out  boldly  a  trumpet  summons, 
that  served  to  rouse  Nero  instantly.  His  violent  barking  was 
silenced,  however,  as  soon  as  he  recognized  his  friends. 

"  Who  is  there  ?"  Lena's  voice  inquired. 

"  Open,  trusty  chatelaine!"  Moritz  called  out.  "The  young 
Freiherr  von  Hb'neburg  approaches,  and  asks  admittance 
through  me,  his  faithful  squire." 

The  castle  gate  flew  open.  "  Welcome,  Herr  Freiherr !" 
Lena  exclaimed,  with  a  beaming  smile.  "  Is  it  really  so?" 

"  It  is  really  so,"  Schbnrade  assented  ;  "  but  pray  do  not 
drop  the  Herr  Professor." 

"  Have  you  no  word  for  me?"  Moritz  asked,  holding  out 
his  hand.  "  Heaven  knows  I  wanted  to  come  far  more  than 
he  did  !" 

"  I  am  not  sure  of  that,"  she  said,  blushing,  and  casting 
down  her  eyes. 

Grandfather  Vogelstein  received  with  a  respectful  air  a  letter 
from  the  Count  von  Gleichenau,  and  broke  the  seal  on  the 
spot.  "  At  last!  at  last !"  he  said,  and  a  tear  rolled  down  his 
furrowed  cheek.  "  And  you,  honoured  sir,  are  really  hLs  son  ?" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  297 

"  And  your  very  devoted  friend,  my  good  Vogclstein,"  the 
Professor  replied,  shaking  him  warmly  by  the  hand. 

Moritz  and  Lena  had  strayed  off  together.  The  widow 
Vogelstein  hastened  to  make  preparations  for  a  supper  worthy 
of  the  guests,  and  Schonrade,  with  the  old  gardener,  went  up 
to  his  mother's  room,  where -he  took  possession  of  the  papers 
and  letters  to  which  he  had  now  established  his  right.  He 
informed  the  old  man  of  all  that  had  occurred,  and  of  the 
changes  that  were  to  take  place  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 

O  1  O 

ruins.  They  were  to  be  left  as  they  were,  he  assured  him, — 
a  memorial  of  a  warlike  age  happily  gone  forever.  He  offered 
him  a  responsible  post  in  the  new  railway-depot ;  but  Vogel- 
steiu  refused  this,  preferring,  he  said,  old  as  he  was,  to  remain 
a  simple  gardener  in  charge  of  the  old  place.  He  could  not 
weary  of  asking  questions  about  his  old  master,  the  present 
Count  von  Gleichenau,  and  Camilla.  Nor  could  he  be  made 
to  understand  why  they  had  never  met  since  the  son  had 
found  his  father. 

Before  the  hour  preceding  supper  had  elapsed,  Moritz  and 
Lena  had  come  to  a  thorough  understanding,  and  the  sum- 
mons to  partake  of  the  evening  meal  found  them  sitting  on 
the  bench  beneath  the  trees,  hand  locked  in  hand,  and  beam- 
ing with  happiness, — a  happiness  so  evident  that  as  soon 
as  they  appeared  at  the  table  the  Professor  asked,  in  a  loud 
tone,  "  May  I  not  congratulate?" 

"  Indeed  you  may,"  Moritz  answered,  greatly  relieved. 
"  Grandfather  Vogelstein,  and  you  too,  Frau  Vogelstein,  Lena 
loves  me,  and  I  ask  her  at  your  hands." 

The  old  man  was  really  surprised,  and  Frau  Vogelstein  con- 
sidered it  her  duty  to  seem  so.  The  Professor  came  to  the 
rescue  of  the  party,  imprinting  the  kiss  of  a  future  brother- 
in-law  upon  Lena's  hand ;  then,  filling  up  the  glasses  of  all  with 
llhine  wine,  he  proposed  the  health  of  the  newly-betrothed 
couple.  "  God  bless  you,  my  children !"  the  old  man  said, 

N* 


298  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

with  much  emotion,  and  tears  of  maternal  pride  sparkled  in 
his  daughter-in-law's  eyes,  although  she  did  not  forget  to  re- 
mind all  present  that  their  supper  was  getting  cold. 

A  second  bottle  of  wine  was  brought  up  from  the  castle 
cellar,  and  the  happy  party  did  not  separate  until  late  in  the 
night. 

The  moon  was  high  in  the  heavens  as  the  friends  took  leave 
of  one  another  on  the  bridge.  "  I  should  like  to  go  with  ycu 
across  the  moor,"  said  Lena,  "  if  my  grandfather  will  let  me." 

"  Do,"  said  Moritz,  eagerly ;  "  and  I  will  escort  you  back 
again." 

"  Stop  !"  exclaimed  the  Professor.  "  Another  time  you  can 
try  how  long  it  will  take  you  to  reach  town  after  that  zig- 
zag fashion.  To-night  I  play  Wallenstein  to  your  Max  and 
Thekla.  You  must  part  1" 

Moritz  sighed.     "  Till  we  meet,  then  !" 

As  the  two  men  passed  through  the  green  gate,  Schb'nrade 
said,  "  I  must  leave  to-morrow  afternoon,  and  all  this  matter 
must  be  arranged  first." 

"What?"  Moritz  asked,  as  if  awaking  from  a  dream. 
"Oh,  yes,"  he  added,  recollecting  himself.  "Yes,  indeed. 
To-morrow  forenoon.  'Twill  not  take  long." 

"  If  only "  the  Professor  muttered  to  himself.  He  could 

not  feel  at  ease  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  narrow  archway. 

When  Amberger  returned  the  next  day  from  a  lengthened 
visit  to  Herr  Kostling,  there  was  not  a  trace  in  his  countenance 
of  his  former  confidence. 

"Well?"   the  Professor  asked,  eagerly. 

"  Deuce  take  it !"  Moritz  exclaimed.  "  Old  Kostling  will 
make  us  trouble." 

"Trouble?" 

"  He  refuses  to  have  one  stone  of  the  old  gate  touched !" 

Schb'nrade  uttered  an  exclamation  of  dismay,  and  struck  the 
table  with  his  hand.  "  I  thought  so  !" 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  299 


CHAPTER     XXIII. 

'N  the  Palazzo  Bellarota,  as  well  as  in  the  Honeburg,  there 
vus  a  happy  betrothed  pair ;  and  it  is  quite  necessary  to  the 
levelopment  of  this  veracious  history  that  the  two  lovers 
jhould  be  brothers,  their  two  loves  near  relatives,  and  that 
there  should  be  certain  relations  between  the  Palazzo  Bella- 
rota  and  the  Honeburg,  all  centring  in  the  person  of  a  com- 
mon friend.  Most  extraordinary  combinations  and  revelations, 
those  will  declare  who  think  their  own  lives  as  full  of  inci- 
dent as  is  natural.  But  if  this  were  so,  the  story-teller's  prov- 
ince would  be  greatly  contracted. 

Philip's  love  for  the  beautiful  Lucia  so  transformed  the  man 
that  he  pleaded  his  causa  with  an  eager  confidence  quite  foreign 
to  his  nature ;  and  he  must  have  pleaded  well,  for  Lucia  un- 
derstood him  in  spite  of  his  imperfect  Italian,  and  consented 
to  leave  her  native  country  for  his  sake.  Her  mother  hesi- 
tated, at  first,  to  resign  her  only  child,  lest  the  "  Signor  Am- 
bergero"  should  not  be  all  he  represented  himself;  but  her 
husband  easily  satisfied  her  doubts :  he  knew  well  enough  the 
consideration  in  which  his  countryman  was  held  at  home,  and 
that  his  daughter  would  be  well  cared  for. 

At  first  Philip  had  no  thoughts  of  ever  carrying  his  bride 
to  Germany.  It  seemed  to  him  far  better  to  stay  in  sunny 
Florence ;  Lucia  could  not  be  at  home,  he  thought,  beneath 
those  gray  northern  skies  and  among  his  formal  countrymen. 
He  liked  always  to  see  her  in  the  little  room  with  the  dark 
carved  wainscoting,  where  he  had  visited  her  first,  and  would 
often  induce  her  to  stand  upon  the  threshold,  as  he  had  then 
beheld  her.  He  made  acquaintance  with  a  very  clever  painter, 
occupied  in  copying  at  the  Uffizi,  and  engaged  him  upon  a 


300  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

picture  of  Lucia,  which,  as  it  progressed,  was  strikingly  like 
some  masterpiece  of  the  Venetian  school  of  art  in  the  six- 
teenth century. 

To  be  sure,  Moritz's  letters,  although  they  by  no  means 
revealed  the  whole  truth,  caused  him  st  me  anxiety,  and  sug- 
gested a  question  whether  he  were  justified  in  withdrawing  his 
share  from  the  business,  and  so  adding  to  his  brother's  per- 
plexity. Philip  was  no  business  man,  but  he  had  sufficient 
understanding  of  business  matters  to  see  that  some  peril  was 
impending,  which  it  was  a  partner's  duty  to  help  to  avert.  As 
he  was  about  to  incur  new  responsibilities,  he  could  not  but 
take  a  more  practical  view  of  life.  Moritz  ought  not  to  be  left 
to  do  all  the  work ;  he  felt  that  he  must  put  his  own  shoulder 
to  the  wheel,  at  least  until  he  could  see  his  way  clear  to  retire 
from  the  firm  without  injury  to  the  business,  and  live  upon 
his  means.  Florence  or  Rome  was  the  goal  of  his  desires,  but 
he  gradually  came  to  be  reconciled  and  to  reconcile  Lucia  to  a 
sojourn  in  his  native  country  before  this  goal  could  be  reached. 
Ho  would  make  it  as  short  as  he  could,  he  told  her  for  her 
consolation. 

At  all  events,  as  much  of  the  Palazzo  Bellarota  as  could  be 
transported  without  inordinate  cost  should  be  carried  across 
the  Alps.  The  wainscoting  of  Lucia's  room  could  certainly 
be  transferred  thither.  There  was  a  room  in  the  old  house  by 
the  hill  of  about  the  same  size  and  height,  he  remembered. 
If  this  exquisite  carving  could  be  set  up  there,  the  windows 
hung  with  old  tapestry,  and  the  room  filled  with  Lucia's  fur- 
niture, she  would  feel  really  at  home.  The  young  people  were 
both  delighted  with  this  plan ;  they  examined  the  carving 
closely  to  find  how  to  divide  it  into  small  pieces  with  least 
injury  to  the  beauty  of  the  work.  Signer  Uccello's  consent 
was  easily  gained.  Although  he  had  formerly  branded  the 
whole  room  as  "  stupid  rubbish,"  he  began  now  to  affect  the 
air  of  a  connoisseur  to  enhance  the  value  of  his  gift,  reckon- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  301 

ing  it  as  part  of  Lucia's  dowry.  "  There  will  be  notliing  finer 
of  the  kind  in  Germany,"  said  he. 

Philip's  surprise  was  not  all  pleasure  when,  one  day,  there 
was  brought  him  from  the  great  hotel  "  Italia"  a  note  in  which 
Frau  Barbara  Ainberger  announced  her  arrival  in  Florence. 

He  knew  that  she  was  travelling,  but  he  had  had  no  idea 
that  she  would  seek  him  out.  The  Professor's  letter  to  Katrine 
he  had  smuggled  to  her  at  Munich,  whence  he  had  supposed 
his  mother  had  intended  visiting  the  Salzkammergut.  Since 
then  he  had  not  heard  from  her,  and  he  readily  guessed  the 
reason  for  this.  Certain  hints  in  his  own  letters  had  not 
pleased  her.  He  thought  he  knew  why  she  had  come,  and 
hastened  to  her,  not  without  some  trepidation. 

Her  reception  of  him  was,  as  he  had  anticipated,  rather 
cool.  "  I  have  come  for  you,  Philip,"  she  said.  "  You  seem 
to  have  forgotten  that  you  have  a  home." 

"  The  ties  that  keep  me  here  are  stronger  than  you  think, 
mother  dear,"  he  said,  resolved  to  come  to  a  speedy  under- 
standing 

"  I  trust,"  she  rejoined,  sternly,  "  that  you  do  not  contem- 
plate lightly  assuming  serious  responsibilities " 

He  immediately  interrupted  her.  "  Gravely  assuming  the 
most  serious,  mother,  and  I  beg  to  be  allowed  to  present  my 
future  bride  to  you." 

Thus  at  their  first  meeting  dissension  arose  between  mother 
and  son,  which  Katrine  vainly  attempted  to  soothe  by  begging 
them  at  least  to  take  pleasure  in  seeing  each  other  again, 
after  so  long  a  separation.  Frau  Barbara's  pride  was  too 
deeply  wounded  by  her  son's  betrothal  to  an  "  innkeeper's 
daughter."  "  My  children  conduct  themselves  after  a  most 
extraordinary  fashion!"  she  exclaimed;  "my  daughter  has 
a  secret  understanding  with  a  schoolmaster,  and  my  son 
falls  in  love  in  an  inn.  What  would  your  father  have 
said  ?  But  I  will  not  suffer  it ;  I  have  some  right  to  speak, 

26 


302  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

and  I  will  see  whether  my  children  love  and  honour  their 
mother." 

"  There  is  no  doubt  on  that  score,"  Philip  said,  "  even  al- 
though we  obey  independently  the  dictates  of  our  hearts.  I 
am  pledged,  and  my  word  is  sacred ;  but  even  were  it  not  so 
already,  I  confess  it  would  make  no  difference  with  me,  for 
Lucia  is  worthy  to  be  the  choice  of  an  honourable  man,  and 
other  than  an  honourable  man  I  do  not  desire  to  be." 

Frau  Barbara  had  never  heard  her  gentle  Philip  speak  thus 
before.  He,  formerly  the  most  docile  of  her  children,  sud- 
denly seemed  to  ignore  her  sway  entirely.  She  grew  angry 
— she  forbade — she  scolded — she  entreated  :  in  vain. 

"  Only  see  my  Lucia,"  was  his  reply. 

"  I  will  not  see  her  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  I  will  leave  here  to- 
morrow. Do  not  have  our  trunks  unpacked,  Katharina, — we 
are  going  away  immediately."  This  threat  was  also  fruitless. 

"  I  have  no  power  to  keep  you  here,"  her  son  said,  "  but 
consider,  it  will  be  regarded  as  a  positive  insult  if  you  refuse 
even  to  see  my  future  bride.  You  will  never  be  able  to 
avoid  seeing  my  wife,  for  I  shall  assuredly  take  her  to  our 
home." 

"  Then  you  will  compel  your  mother  to  leave  it,"  she  re- 
plied,— not,  however,  with  all  her  former  decision. 

He  went  up  to  her  and  put  his  arm  around  her.  "  Be  kind, 
mother  dear,"  he  entreated ;  "  you  will  not  refuse  to  see  and 
judge  whether  your  Philip  has  chosen  well?  You  may  be 
so  happy  in  your  children's  love !  Do  not  spoil  their  chief 
pleasure  in  life !" 

His  tenderness  so  far  soothed  her  that  she  listened  to  what 
particulars  he  had  to  tell  of  his  love,  of  the  worldly  estate  of 
his  future  father-in-law,  and  of  Moritz's  letters, — little  reas- 
suring as  they  were.  Frau  Barbara  was  certainly  glad  that  the 
engagement  with  Sidonie  was  broken,  but  she  was  not  at  all 
pleased  at  the  tone  in  which  Moritz  spoke  of  the  Professor, 


THE   OREEN  GATE.  303 

calling  him  his  only  friend  in  need.  She  could  not  imagine 
the  need,  or  how  the  Professor  could  come  to  be  of  assistance 
as  a  friend.  « 

But  it  was  most  welcome  news  to  Katrine.  She  had  ex- 
changed no  letters  with  her  lover  for  several  weeks ;  and  she 
now  learned  that  he  had  been  busy  indirectly  in  her  interest. 
The  first  minute  that  she  could  speak  privately  to  Philip,  she 
begged  him  to  tell  the  Professor  where  she  was,  and  to  assure 
him  of  her  unalterable  regard. 

"  Why  not  write  to  him  yourself,  child?"  Philip  asked. 

Her  face  beamed :  it  was  too  much  for  her  principles.  "  Oh, 
will  you  take  charge  of  the  letter  ?  And  perhaps  he  may  write 
a  few  lines  to  you " 

"  Of  course,  of  course.  Only  write ;  I'll  take  care  of  the 
rest." 

"  But  our  mother  ?" 

"It  is  our  mother's  fault  if  we  have  to  plot  and  contrive. 
I  trust  she  will  forgive  us  by-and-by." 

He  pondered  whether  a  surprise  might  not  operate  in  his 
favour.  Lucia,  to  whom  he  of  course  painted  his  mother  in 
a  most  favourable  light,  declared  herself  quite  ready  to  pay 
her  a  first  visit.  Philip  had  no  fear  that  in  his  mother's  pres- 
ence she  would  meet  with  want  of  courtesy.  Frau  Barbara 
was  polite  under  all  circumstances.  It  suddenly  struck  him 
that  he  might  prepare  her  for  the  surprise  after  a  fashion  that 
would  deepen  its  effect.  "  Let  us  postpone  the  visit  until  to- 
morrow forenoon,"  he  said.  "  There  is  no  need  to  be  in  a 
hurry.  When  my  mother  has  seen  something  of  Florence  and 
its  sights,  she  will  be  more  in  sympathy  with  its  inhabitants." 

He  betook  himself  again  to  the  Hotel  Italia,  and  invited  his 
mother  and  sister,  if  they  were  sufficiently  rested,  to  take  a 
walk  with  him.  Frau  Barbara's  mood  seemed  more  encour- 
aging, and  she  said  nothing  further  of  leaving  immediately. 
She  took  her  son's  arm,  and  he  conducted  them  along  some 


304  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

of  the  finest  and  most  interesting  streets  in  Florence.     His 
mother  was  soon  tired.     "  Why  not  drive  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Because  we  lose  half  the  beauty  of  the  place  when  we  go 
along  so  swiftly,"  said  he.  "  Let  us  rest  in  the  nearest  cafe,  or 
• — stay, — we  are  close  by  the  atelier  of  an  artist  friend  of  mine. 
He  has  a  charming  picture  upon  his  easel  just  at  present ; 
would  you  not  like  to  see  it  ?  It  is  by  some  sixteenth-cen- 
tury artist,  and  has  lately  been  discovered  in  the  attic  of  an 
old  palazzo,  where  it  has  lain  for  more  than  a  century,  and  has 
been  admirably  restored.  It  has  created  quite  a  sensation, 
an'd,  in  the  style  of  the  painting,  will  remind  you  of  the  por- 
trait at  home  of  our  ancestor,  Jacobus  Amberger,  sheriff  in 
our  good  town  in  the  time  of  the  Danish  war.  That  must 
have  been  the  work  of  some  Venetian  artist  upon  his  travels. 
We  are  very  near  the  atelier,  and  you  can  admire  the  picture, 
which  is  a  great  favourite  of  mine,  until  you  are  thoroughly 
rested." 

Frau  Barbara  was  interested  in  his  description,  and  followed 
his  lead  willingly. 

The  ladies  were  shown  into  the  atelier,  and  Philip  gave  his 
friend,  the  artist,  a  hint  to  be  silent.  Lucia's  picture,  which 
stood  against  the  wall  all  ready  for  packing,  was  hastily  placed 
upon  the  easel,  and  the  light  arranged. 

Frau  Barbara  sat  down  opposite  it  in  a  large  arm-chair, 
Katrine  stood  beside  her,  and  Philip  and  the  artist  took  their 
places  near  the  easel.  The  group  made  an  excellent  genre 
picture.  The  young  girl  was  lost  in  admiration ;  the  elder 
lady  murmured,  "  Lovely, — very  lovely, — most  beautiful  in- 
deed !"  And  Philip  smiled  contented. 

"Which  do  you  so  much  admire?"  he  asked  his  mother: 
"  the  execution  or  the  subject  of  the  picture  ?" 

"  Oh,  both  !  both  !"  she  said,  eagerly.  "  The  colouring  is 
exquisite,  the  tone  so  pure.  When  we  remember  that  it  has 
been  painted  for  hundreds  of  years " 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  305 

"  It  is  far  more  like  a  beautiful  copy  of  an  old  painting  or 
a  successful  imitation  of  the  Venetian  school,"  Katrine  con- 
tinued her  mother's  remark.  "  I  think  if  you  could  compare 
it  with  other  old  pictures " 

"  You  doubt  its  genuineness?"  Philip  asked. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  do  so ;  and  yet  there  is  something — 
something — I  cannot  explain  myself  perfectly,  but  I  have  a 
sensation  in  looking  at  it  as  if  I  might  meet  this  very  girl  in 
the  street  to-day,  and  the  old  portraits  that  I  have  seen  before 
do  not  impress  me  thus  at  all." 

The  artist  did  not  understand  German.  Philip  translated 
for  him  what  his  sister  had  said,  and  he  smiled  significantly. 

Frau  Barbara  did  not  agree  with  her  daughter. 

"  The  picture  is  only  admirably  restored.  We  ought  tc 
send  our  old  portrait  to  this  artist :  it  would  be  greatly  im- 
proved." She  regarded  the  picture  still  more  attentively. 
"  This  young  girl  is  exquisitely  beautiful.  We  rarely  see 
such  beauty  in  our  time.  Not  that  we  do  not  see  beautiful 
girls  and  women  nowadays,  but  they  seldom  possess  that 
distinguished  air,  that  refined  grace,  which  characterizes  this 
portrait." 

Philip  with  difficulty  retained  his  gravity. 

"  She  must  have  been  of  an  ancient  line,"  his  mother  con- 
tinued. "  You  can  see  that  in  her  whole  carriage.  The  dress. 
to  be  sure,  is  not  very  costly, — of  some  blue  woollen  stuff,  if 
I  see  rightly  ;  but  the  chain  about  the  neck,  and  the  lace  ruff, 
give  style  to  its  simplicity.  I  should  .never  tire  of  looking  at 
that  lovely  face,  that  graceful  figure." 

Philip  asked,  "  Shall  I  buy  the  picture,  then,  mother?" 

"  Oh,  the  price  will  be  too  high." 

"  I  think  not ;  it  is  the  property  of  my  friend  the  artist 
here,  and  he  will  let  me  have  it  quite  reasonably.  We  had 
better  secure  it." 

Frau  Amberger  was  much  pleased. 
20* 


306  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

"  We  shall  be  envied  the  possession  of  this  treasure  at 
home,"  she  said. 

"  I  should  rather  have  the  original,"  said  Philip. 

"  The  original  ?     You  said " 

"  I  mean  the  signora  herself." 

"  Oh,  the  signora  herself,"  his  mother  repeated,  with  a  smile. 
"  Yes  ;  I  should  be  glad  of  such  a  daughter-in-law." 

Philip  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  sighed,  glancing  mean- 
ingly at  Katrine,  who  did  not  seem  entirely  convinced.  He 
thanked  the  artist  for  his  trouble,  and  then  left  the  studio, 
conducting  the  ladies  to  their  hotel  by  a  roundabout  way  past 
the  Palazzo  Bellarota.  He  could  not  help  saying,  as  they 
passed  it,  "  This  is  the  building  where  the  painting  was  found. 
It  is  now  a  hotel." 

His  mother  merely  glanced  up  at  it ;  but  Katrine  exclaimed, 
noticing  the  marble  figures  at  the  entrance,  "  There  are  the 
men  with  the  ornamental  circlets  of  which — 

Philip  turned  to  her  and  put  his  finger  on  his  lips.  "  You 
will  have  an  opportunity  soon,  I  hope,  of  observing  them  more 
closely." 

He  was  quite  satisfied  with  the  success  of  his  ruse,  and 
looked  forward  eagerly  to  the  visit  to  be  paid  the  next  day. 
Lucia,  by  his  desire,  was  dressed  in  the  blue  gown  in  which 
she  had  been  painted. 

"  Wait  one  moment,"  he  said  to  her  when  they  had  mounted 
to  the  door  of  his  mother's  room  in  the  Hotel  Italia:  "I  will 
announce  you:  it  will  only  take  a  moment."  He  knocked  at 
the  door  and  entered,  standing  near  it,  hat  in  hand.  "  A  lady 
of  Florence  wishes  to  see  you,  dearest  mother,"  he  said  to  her. 
"May  she  come  in?" 

She  looked  at  him  in  surprise.  "  A  lady  of  Florence 

Me  ?  I  know  none  here." 

"Oh,  yes,  you  do!     You  will  soon  see  that." 

Her  face  grew  dark.     "  Philip,  I  cannot  believe ' 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  307 

"  What?" 

"  That  you  would  force  me  to  receive " 

"  Only  see  her." 

He  threw  the  door  wide  open,  and  Lucia  appeared  upon  the 
threshold.  Frau  Barbara  started  in  absolute  terror,  gazing  at 

her  visitor  as  at  some  apparition.  "  But  that  is "  she 

stammered. 

"  Signora  Lucia  Uccello, — my  Lucia  ;  the  loveliest  and  (lie 
best  girl  in  Florence." 

He  took  her  hand  and  led  her  forward.  "  Did  the  artist 
flatter  her  ?" 

His  mother  could  hardly  yet  understand.  "  I  never  should 

have  thought !"  she  murmured.  "  There  is  certainly  a 

most  striking  resemblance  to  the  old  picture  !" 

"  For  which  she  sat,"  Philip  said,  with  a  laugh. 

Lucia,  who  did  not  understand  this  reception,  looked  em- 
barrassed. 

"  Is  this  your  mother?"  she  asked. 

"  My  mother ;  my  sister.  I  will  tell  you  by-and-by  why 
they  look  so  amazed." 

Katrine  put  a  stop  to  a  scene  that  was  beginning  to  grow 
painful,  by  hastening  to  embrace  Lucia. 

"  We  saw  your  picture  yesterday,"  she  explained.  "  Philip 
played  a  little  trick  upon  us " 

"  And  my  mother  was  enchanted  with  so  much  beauty  and 
grace,"  he  completed  her  sentence.  "  I  hope,  mother  dear, 
the  original  will  please  you  even  better  than  the  painted  pre- 
sentment." 

"  But  I  thought  the  portrait  in  the  studio  was  an  old  paint- 
ing," she  said,  still  confused. 

Philip  took  her  hand.  "  You  cannot  but  be  glad,"  he  said, 
gaily,  although  with  inward  trepidation,  "  that  my  love  is  not 
three  hundred  years  old." 

"  Your  love  ?" 


308  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

"  Receive  her  as  such,  mother  dear.  You  cannot  find  in 
the  world  a  daughter-in-law  who  will  love  your  son  more  truly, 
or  who  will  be  more  devotedly  loved  by  him." 

Frau  Barbara  appeared  to  perceive  that  all  further  opposition 
would  be  useless,  and  held  it  wisest,  under  such  circumstances, 
to  yield  with  a  good  grace.  She  did  not  withdraw  her  hand 
when  Philip  placed  Lucia's  within  it,  but  drew  the  beautiful 
girl  towards  her  and  kissed  her  brow. 

"  I  cannot  tell  whether  you  understand  my  German,  my 
child,"  she  said,  as  an  excuse  for  her  hesitation. 

Lucia  assured  her  that  she  understood  her  father's  native 
tongue,  and  that,  in  a  short  time,  she  hoped  to  express  herself 
in  it  with  ease. 

"  I  pray  you  to  be  patient  with  me  for  awhile,  dear  ma- 
dame,"  she  added.  "  I  shall  surely  learn  quickly,  for  Philip's 
sake." 

This  pleased  Frau  Barbara.  She  stroked  Lucia's  cheek,  and 
led  her  to  the  sofa. 

"  I  frankly  admit,"  she  said,  "  that  I  have  been  vexed  with 
my  son  for  seeking  a  wife  in  a  hotel.  It  is  a  fortunate  acci- 
dent that " 

"  Are  not  marriages  made  in  heaven  ?"  he  interrupted  her. 
"  Do  not  let  us  speak  of  accident,  but  of  Providence.  Eh, 
Katrine?  Providence  takes  care  of  us." 

"  Take  care,"  his  mother  said  ;  "  do  not  speak  too  lightly." 
But  the  tone  of  her  reproof  was  gentle ;  now  that  she  had  re- 
solved to  make  the  best  of  it  all,  she  was  glad  to  open  her 
heart  to  her  new  daughter,  with  whom  she  was  more  and  more 
pleased.  At  the  end  of  the  visit,  an  appointment  was  made 
for  the  next  day,  to  see  together  the  wonders  of  Florence. 
"  The  most  curious  and  interesting  of  Florentine  relics  is  the 
Palazzo  Bellarota,"  Philip  assured  his  mother  gratefully,  kiss- 
ing her  hand,  "  which  I  discovered  myself." 

Frau  Amberger  understood  him,  and  presented  herself  duly 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  309 

there  the  next  day.  She  found  in  Signer  Uccello  a  man 
who,  as  she  was  forced  to  own,  in  spite  of  his  being  "an 
inn-keeper,"  was  by  no  means  to  be  despised,  and  the  pre- 
liminaries of  the  marriage  were  soon  settled.  It  was  to  take 
place  sooner  than  had  been  at  first  proposed,  in  order  that  the 
mother  and  sister  of  the  bridegroom  might  honour  it  with 
their  presence. 

Of  course  the  removal  of  the  wainscoting  of  Lucia's  room 
was  immediately  undertaken.  Frau  Barbara,  who  privately 
counted  the  cost  of  transportation,  scarcely  approved ;  but 
Philip  was  fired  with  the  idea  of  reproducing  her  southern 
home  for  his  bride  in  the  land  to  which  he  was  about  to  carry 
her,  and  heeded  no  remonstrance.  A  skilful  cabinet-maker 
was  employed  to  loosen  all  the  carving  from  the  wall  and 
pack  it  safely.  The  work  went  bravely  on,  until  a  certain 
panel,  in  the  middle  of  the  wall  opposite  the  windows,  resisted 
the  efforts  of  the  workman  to  loosen  it.  Additional  force  was 
used,  and  it  was  so  far  stirred  from  its  place  as  to  allow  of  a 
peep  behind  it.  "  I  see  what  is  the  matter,"  said  the  work- 
man :  "  there  is  a  little  wooden  cupboard  built  into  the  wall, 
firmly  connected  with  the  panel."  Philip  admitted  that  he 
was  right. 

"  That  cupboard  must  have  had  some  practical  use,"  he 
said.  "  It  must  have  been  opened  from  the  room.  Let  us 
find  the  door."  They  examined  the  panel  minutely ;  in  vain. 
"  There  is  some  secret  lock,"  the  cabinet-maker  declared, 
"  purposely  concealed  by  the  florid  carving.  They  were  very 
skilful  in  such  work  in  those  days.  I  am  sure  some  spot, 
some  projection,  is  movable ;  we  have  only  to  find  where  it  is 
to  come  upon  the  means  of  opening  the  cupboard."  This, 
however,  was  no  easy  task. 

The  two  men  pressed,  pushed,  and  turned  every  projection 
in  the  carving,  to  no  purpose.  Lucia  brought  a  light  and 
examined  slowly  every  figure,  to  discover  some  clue  to  the 


310  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

mystery.  "  It  seems  to  me,"  said  the  workman,  with  whom 
it  was  a  point  of  honour  not  to  be  baffled,  "  that  one  of  the 
cheeks  of  this  Eve,  who  is  gazing  up  at  the  coveted  apple,  is 
smoother  than  the  other  parts  of  the  figure,  and  her  necklace 
of  berries  is  suspicious  too  ;  a  joint  might  be  hidden  there,  and 
the  whole  head  turn  like  a  rosette.  May  I  use  a  little  force  ?" 
Philip,  whose  curiosity  was  greatly  excited,  assented ;  but  for  a 
long  time  all  their  endeavors  were  without  result.  They  were 
just  on  the  point  of  giving  up  this  spot  as  hopeless,  when  an 
accidental  pressure  pushed  the  whole  head  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  rest  of  the  carving,  and  it  was  there  easily  slipped 
aside,  revealing  a  key-hole.  Every  key  to  be  had  was  tried 
in  vain.  A  locksmith  who  was  called  in  found  it  impossible 
to  unlock  it  with  a  pick-lock.  It  could  not  be  forced  without 
injury  to  the  carving.  "  Let  us  preserve  the  panel  intact," 
said  Philip  ;  "  the  cupboard  is  not  of  much  consequence ;  it  is 
probably  quite  empty,  and  certainly  cannot  contain  a  treasure. 
Those  who  knew  how  to  open  it  doubtless  took  good  care  to 
remove  its  contents." 

The  cabinet-maker  said  there  was  no  reason  why  the  cup- 
board could  not  be  taken  out  of  the  wall :  it  was  less  securely 
fastened  there  than  to  the  panel.  This  was  attempted,  and 
with  success, — the  whole  cupboard  was  removed  from  the  wall. 

When,  after  its  removal,  they  shook  it  to  and  fro,  it  waa 
plain  enough  .that  there  was  something  inside  that  changed  its 
place  with  the  motion.  The  desire  to  see  what  this  was  took 
possession  of  the  whole  party,  including  Signer  Uccello  and 
his  wife,  and  Frau  Barbara  and  Katrine.  "  Let  us  open  the 
cabinet  at  the  back,"  said  Philip,  "  even  if  we  have  to  use  the 
saw." 

"That  is  what  I  must  do,"  replied  the  cabinet-maker;  "  the 
work  is  so  admirable." 

The  by-standers  encouraged  him  to  make  no  delay ;  the  saw 
was  put  to  use,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  board  at  the  buck 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  311 

of  the  cupboard  fell  to  the  ground.  Every  one  pressed  for- 
ward to  see  what  the  thing  contained. 

Within  lay  a  roll  of  paper  and  a  leathern  purse.  The 
latter  was  scarcely  half  full.  Its  contents  poured  out  upon 
the  table  elicited  a  simultaneous  "  Ah !"  from  all  present. 
They  consisted  of  various  articles  of  jewelry,  precious  stones, 
rings,  buttons,  seals,  chains,  etc.,  of  gold.  Upon  several  of 
the  rings  and  seals  was  cut  the  same  device  that  was  to  be 
found  everywhere  in  the  palazzo, — a  richly-ornamented  wheel. 
"  Here  we  have  the  inheritance  of  the  Bellarotas  !"  Philip 
exclaimed,  eagerly.  c<  Oh,  if  the  Professor  were  only  here  ! 
He  would  believe  me  now.  I  never  had  the  smallest  doubt 
about  it  in  my  own  mind." 

He  unrolled  the  papers  and  looked  over  them  while  the 
rest  were  busy  with  the  contents  of  the  purse.  "  Here  is  an 
important  discovery  for  some  people,"  he  said,  after  awhile, 
holding  up  a  sheet  of  manuscript.  "  All  these  manuscripts 
have  reference  to  the  Bellarota  family.  Here  is  a  genealogical 
tree,  bringing  the  name  down  to  a  certain  Annibale  Bellarota, 
ducal  chamberlain,  who  died  about  a  hundred  years  ago  ;  and 
then  we  have  the  baptismal  certificates  of  his  son  Pietro  and 
his  grandson  Carlo.  If  I  remember  rightly,  Professor  Schbn- 
rade  told  me  those  were  the  names  of  his  mother's  father  and 
grandfather ;  yes,  it  was  Pietro  who  was  imprisoned  for  polit- 
ical offences,  and  died  in  confinement.  Schbnrade's  mother 
has  a  missal,  bequeathed  by  him  to  his  son  Carlo,  in  which 
his  name  is  written  by  his  own  hand.  Good  heavens  !  and  in 
this  paper  he  mentions  that  his  imprisonment  is  certain,  that 
his  death  is  probable,  that  he  can  bequeath  to  his  son  Carlo 
nothing  beyond  these  few  family  relics,  since  all  that  he  pos- 
sessed has  been  spent  for  political  aims.  Perhaps  his  son 
may  one  day  amass  fortune  sufficient  to  re-purchase  the  old 
family  estate.  '  But,'  he  concludes,  '  my  time  is  short.  I 
shall  take  with  me  the  missal  that  belonged  to  the  man  who, 


312  THE   GREEN  GATE, 

in  happier  days,  adorned  this  palazzo  with  many  works  of 
art,  and  who  contrived  this  secret  repository.  No  one  knows 
that  under  the  movable  boss  on  the  cover  of  this  book,  that 
apparently  serves  only  to  confine  in  its  place  the  ivory  head 
of  Christ,  lies  the  little  key  to  this  small  receptacle.  They 
cannot  refuse  to  promise  me  that  after  my  death  this  book, 
from  which  I  shall  derive  consolation  in  my  last  hours,  shall 
be  sent  to  my  son  Carlo, — my  only  legacy  to  my  well-beloved 
son, — and  they  will  keep  the  promise,  for  the  legacy  is  value- 
less. God  grant  you  a  happier  life,  my  Carlo,  than  mine  has 
been !' 

"  Carlo  must  have  been  elsewhere  at  this  time,  and  perhaps 
his  father  had  no  opportunity  of  revealing  to  him  the  mystery 
of  the  cover  of  the  missal ;  the  key  may  still  be  concealed 
there.  It  would  then  be  proved  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  Carlo 
Bellarota  who  was  a  singer  in  Germany  and  died  there  in 
want  was  the  Bellarota  to  whose  baptism  this  certificate  tes- 
tifies,— Pietro's  son,  Annibale's  grandson " 

"  Xaver's  grandfather,"  Katharina  interrupted  him.  "Oh 
if  Camilla  learns  this !" 

"What, — what, — what?"  Frau  Barbara  asked,  eagerly. 
"  Xaver !  yes,  it  must  be  Professor  Schb'nrade  who  said  he 
was  a  Bellafota, — yes.  And  he  is  really  descended  from  the 
ancient  family  who  owned  this  crest  ?  Can  it  be  so  ?" 

"  It  seems  certain,"  said  Philip.  "  He  himself  takes  very 
little  interest  in  such  matters,  but  his  mother  attaches  great 
importance  to  them ;  and  who  knows  what  may  come  of  this 
unexpected  discovery  ?" 

"  Who  knows,  indeed  ?"  Katrine  observed.  "  If  Professor 
Sehonrade  does  not  care  for  it.  this  baptismal  certificate  may 
be  very  useful  to  the  Freihcrr  von  Honcburg.'' 

Her  mother  looked  at  her  in  amazement.  "  The  Freihcrr 
von  Honeburg  ?  What  has  he — 

"  Oh,  I  ought  not  to  have  said  it!"  the  girl  exclaimed,  ter- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  313 

rifled  at  what  she  had  done ;  "  but  the  words  came  before  I 
thought,  and  it  cannot  be  a  secret  much  longer.  Xaver 
was  too  proud  to  tell  you  this  after  you  had  repulsed  him. 
Camilla  Bellarota  is  the  divorced  wife  of  the  Freiherr  von 
IliJneburg,  and  Xaver  is  his  son,  the  son  of  the  present  Count 
Gleichenau." 

"  And  you  have  never  said  one  word  of  all  this  to  me, 
— your  mother?"  Frau  Barbara  exclaimed,  in  great  agitation. 

"  I  was  forbidden  to  speak,  dearest  mother.  Perhaps  Xaver 
could  not  enter  into  explanations  as  yet,  and  then  he  hoped 
to  win  you  over  to  his  side  without  them." 

£i  Yes!  yes  !"  the  offended  lady  declared.  "  I  am  sure  of 
nothing;  he  might  have  persuaded  me  to  give  my  only  child 
to  a  Professor, — it  is  possible.  But  if  he  really  has  the 
right  to  call  himself  Freiherr  von  Honeburg,  if  his  mother 
is  the  grandchild  of  this  noble  Pietro  Bellarota, — why — I  am 
quite  bewildered." 

"  You  mean,  dearest  mother,"  said  Philip,  "  that  you  will 
no  longer  refuse  to  listen  to  the  dictates  of  your  kind  heart, 
that  you  will  approve  Katrine's  choice,  and  that  I  may  write 
to  my  friend " 

"  Stop!  stop  !"  she  interrupted  him;  "  not  too  fast.  I  shall 
wait  and  see  whether  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg  asks  me  for 
my  daughter.  If  he  does, — why — then,  indeed,  I  will  forget 
that  we  have  ever  met  before." 

Katrine  threw  her  arms  around  her  and  kissed  her.  She 
did  not  repulse  her,  but  looked  grave,  and  said,  "  For  all  that, 
you  are  an  obstinate,  naughty  girl." 

"  At  all  events,  the  Professor  must  have  these  papers,"  said 
Philip.  "  I  will  write  to  him,  to  Berlin,  this  very  night.  Who 
will  send  him  a  message?"  He  looked,  as  he  spoke,  at  Ka- 
trine; but  she  made  no  reply,  except  by  a  look  of  arch  entreaty 
at  her  mother. 

"  Well,  I  have  no  objection,"  Frau  Barbara  agreed,  with  a 
o  27 


314  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

smile.  "  It  is  fitting  that  I  should  congratulate  him  upon  the 
discovery.  But  say  nothing  else." 

"  I  will  take  care  of  all  that,"  said  Philip,  as  he  kissed  her. 
"  Had  we  not  better  invite  him  to  the  wedding?" 

"  Oh,  that  would  be  delightful  !"  Katrine  exclaimed,  with 
sparkling  eyes. 

"  Signer  Uccello  and  his  wife  are  the  persons  to  decide  that 
matter,"  Frau  Barbara  declared,  quite  formally,  and  there  the 
conversation  ended. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

IP  the  Professor  had  only  suspected  the  contents  of  the 
letter  that  the  post  was  bringing  to  him  across  the  Brenner, 
he  would  certainly  have  been  less  depressed,  or,  at  least,  have 
dismissed  his  cares  for  awhile.  Now  he  could  not  forgive 
Moritz  for  his  want  of  caution  with  regard  to  the  green  gate, 
and  he  was  still  more  provoked  with  himself  for  his  negli- 
gence in  being  uninformed  upon  the  subject.  The  gate  barred 
t  the  street :  it  must  come  down,  or  the  whole  project  of  open- 
ing a  free  entrance  to  the  city  on  this  side  was  a  failure.  A 
long  row  of  houses  had  been  purchased,  a  vast  amount  of 
capital  expended  to  no  purpose,  and  the  money  had  been  in- 
trusted to  him  by  his  father,  who  had  a  right  to  exact  pru- 
djnce  and  caution  in  its  use.  More  than  that,  the  Count 
had  already  made  application  to  the  government  for  the  charter, 
and  he  would  be  heavily  compromised  if  he  could  not  keep  his 
promises. 

To  a  man  like  Schbnrade,  the  idea  of  failure  through  any 
fault  of  his  own  was  intolerable.  "  We  must  not  despair," 
he  said  to  Moritz.  £[  I  will  try  what,  can  be  done  with  Ilerr 
Ktistling.  I  ou<i'ht  to  have  "xme  to  him  before." 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  315 

Moritz  looked  incredulous  as  to  his  success,  but  made  no 
reply.  He  was  greatly  depressed,  and  disposed  to  forebode  the 
worst.  Kostling's  refusal  had  been  so  decided  that  he  dared 
not  hope  he  would  change  his  mind.  His  answer  would  have 
been  the  same,  he  was  convinced,  if  they  had  gone  to  him  at 
first ;  but  then,  to  be  sure,  much  time,  trouble,  and  money 
would  have  been  saved. 

So  Professor  Schbnrade  presented  his  card  to  the  old  house- 
keeper, whom  we  know,  in  the  house  by  the  fosse,  and  waited 
for  a  long  time  before  he  was  told  that  the  master  was  ready 
to  receive  him.  He  was  shown  through  several  darkened 
rooms,  furnished  after  the  fashion  of  a  bygone  day,  decorated 
with  mirrors  made  in  many  small  pieces,  and  huge  glass  chan- 
deliers, till  he  found  the  old  man  in  a  small  apartment  over- 
looking the  garden,  the  windows  of  which  were  almost  entirely 
obscured  by  dark  curtains.  It  seemed  to  be  the  only  inhab- 
ited room,  for  in  a  back  corner  stood  a  bed,  beside  it  a  set  of 
book-shelves,  and  a  sofa  covered  with  black  hair-cloth ;  and 
where  a  single  ray  of  sunlight  was  allowed  to  penetrate  stood  a 
writing-table.  Chairs  with  carved  feet  and  high  backs  stood 
stiff  against  the  walls,  which  were  hung  with  family  portraits 
so  blackened  with  age,  for  the  most  part,  that  white  ruffs 
and  yellowish  faces  were  all  that  could  be  distinguished  of 
them.  On  the  window-seat  beside  which  stood  the  writing- 
table,  the  two  cats  sat  opposite  each  other,  immovable  as 
Egyptian  sphinxes  ;  they  might  have  been  stuffed. 

Herr  Kostling  surveyed  the  visitor  with  a  look  of  mingled 
surprise  and  suspicion.  "I  do  not  know  whether  yo,u  really 
desired  to  speak  with  me,  Herr  Professor,"  he  said,  in  a  low, 
grating  voice  ;  "  but  sit  down.  From  Berlin,  I  believe, — from 
Berlin.  Am  I  right  ?'' 

"  I  occupy  a  chair  in  the  university  there,"  the  Professor 
replied,  unable  to  master  a  certain  uncomfortable  sensation, 
but  speaking  with  \\n\c  1  calmness.  "  My  speciality  is  natural 


316  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

science,  geology  in  particular.  I  am  not  here,  however,  in  the 
interest  of  science,  but  partly  of  friendship.  In  brief,  I  am 
betrothed  to  Katharina  Amberger,  and  am  of  course  anxious 
to  assist  Moritz  Amberger  in  certain  undertakings,  which  are 
approved  by  my  Berlin  friends,  and  upon  the  success  of  which 
much  depends.  May  I  explain  what  they  are  ?" 

This  question  was  justified,  for  at  the  mention  of  Amber- 
ger's  name  Herr  Kostling  had  turned  away,  and  his  brow 
had  contracted  in  such  a  heavy  frown  that  it  might  well  be 
doubted  whether  he  wished  to  hear  more.  "As  you  please,  as 
you  please,"  he  said,  crossly ;  "  but  if  you  come  on  the  same 
errand  that  brought  Herr  Moritz  Amberger  here  yesterday, 
about  the  gate  adjoining  my  house,  you  may  spare  your  pains. 
Never,  never,  never !" 

This  did  not  sound  encouraging.  "  Let  me  explain  the 
matter  to  you,  at  all  events,"  the  guest  entreated:  "perhaps 
you  may  see  it  from  a  new  point  of  view — 

"  There  is  only  one  point  of  view  for  me,"  the  old  man  in- 
terrupted him.  "  The  gate  belongs  to  me,  and  I  will  not  give 
it  up  to  be  removed, — I  will  not." 

"  I  am  ready  to  offer  a  very  high  price  for  the  old  relic," 
the  Professor  said,  half  as  if  to  himself.  "  Name  a  sum." 

Kostling  laughed  aloud, — so  loud  that  the  two  cats,  as  if 
surprised  at  the  unwonted  sound,  turned  their  heads  and 
pricked  up  their  ears.  "  A  very  high  price  !"  he  exclaimed. 
"  What  does  that  mean  ?  A  price  that  far  exceeds  its  real 
value?  Of  course.  What  real  value  does  the  thing  possess? 
To  look»at,  it  is  but  a  heap  of  old  stones  and  mortar.  How 
many  times  would  you  multiply  itsTalue  to  make  a  very  high 
price  ?  How  many  times  ?" 

"  It  is  not  the  gate  which  is  of  value."  the  Professor  re- 
plied. "  but  the  spot  on  which  it  stands.  Its  ATalue  is  rela- 
tive." 

Kostling  drew  his  head  down  between  the  points  of  his  high 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  317 

collar,  as  into  a  snail-shell.  "  What  do  I  care  for  that?  I  am 
a  man  who  has  really  no  wants,  with  money  enough  to  gratify 
even  an  extravagant  love  of  pleasure.  I  have  neither  father, 
mother,  brother,  sister,  wife,  nor  child ;  I  am  alone  in  the  world. 
This  huge  house  is  empty.  I  live  in  this  one  room,  my  stom- 
ach is  content  with  the  most  frugal  fare,  my  books  are  so  good 
that  I  can  always  read  them  anew,  my  garden  supplies  me  with 
more  fruit  than  I  want,  and  my  friends  there,"  and  he  pointed 
to  the  two  cats,  "  are  as  easily  satisfied  as  myself.  What  good 
would  some  thousands  more  thalers  do  us  ?  We  have  too 
much  already."  His  voice  grew  lower.  "  Alone  in  the  world, 
— alone  !" 

Schonrade  felt  that  nothing  was  to  be  gained  in  this  direc- 
tion. "  Well,  then,"  he  said,  "  for  the  sake  of  the  common 
good,  give  up  a  possession  that  is  of  no  possible  use  to  you, 
but  which  is  in  the  way  of  an  enterprise  that  will  be  of  the 
greatest  benefit  to  the  town.  Herr  Moritz  Amberger  was  not 
empowered  to  make  known  to  you  our  plans,  but  I  will  not 
hesitate  to  communicate  them  to  you.  Listen  to  me  quietly 
for  a  few  minutes."  He  then  explained  with  great  clearness 
the  plan  for  the  proposed  railway,  and  showed  the  necessity 
there  was  for  a  wide  road  to  the  new  depot.  "  Every  obstacle 
is  removed,"  he  concluded,  "  except  the  old  gate.  Give  your 
consent  to  its  destruction,  and  you  will  confer  a  benefit  which 
must  give  you  also  satisfaction." 

Kostling  had  closed  his  eyes  ;  now  he  opened  them,  as  if  to 
see  whether  the  Professor  had  finished.  "  Do  you  think  so  ?" 
he  asked,  in  a  drawling  tone.  "  Even  if  all  you  say  is  correct, 
what  do  I  gain  by  t^pRiange  ?  A  noisy  street  before  my 
house,  above  my  quiet  garden  a  bridge  groaning  and  creaking 
all  day  with  passing  freight-wagons,  and  a  railway-depot  not 
very  far  off,  where  locomotives  are  whistling  and  shrieking  all 
day  and  all  night.  I  love  quiet,  solitude,  and  seclusion ;  every- 
thing that  I  may  still  call  pleasure  depends  upon  the  gratifica- 


318  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

tion  of  this  desire  of  mine  for  repose.  And  you  would  have 
me Oh,  let  us  say  no  more  ;.bou  ii  !" 

There  was  a  strange  melancholy  in  his  words.  Although 
they  certainly  were  not  intended  to  move  compassion,  they 
nevertheless  did  so.  "  I  perfectly  understand,"  the  Professor 
said,  gently,  "  how  little  sympathy  you  can  have  with  our  un- 
dertaking. But  when  you  reflect  upon  its  real  importance, 
dofiH  it  not  seem  to  you  culpable  egotism  to  prevent  so  great  a 
work,  simply  that  you  may  secure  for  yourself  a  quiet  room 
and  a  peaceful  garden?  If  you  will  take  this  into  considera- 
tion  ' 

"Egotism!"  the  old  man  interrupted  him.  "Yes,  I  am  an 
egotist ;  but  I  have  a  better  right  to  be  one  than  you  and 
all  the  others  who  fill  the  world  with  clamour  that  they  may 
enrich  themselves, — yes,  to  enrich  themselves.  It  is  their 
only  aim,  however  they  may  gloss  it  over  with  fine  phrases. 
I  am  an  egotist,  for  I  have  nothing  but  myself,  and  want 
nothing  but  for  myself,  in  the  world.  I  have  been  left  entirely 
alone ;  what  have  I  to  love  save  myself?  Whom  have  I  to 
cherish  save  myself?  Who,  save  myself,  is  there  to  expend 
a  thought  upon  me  ?  Look  up  at  these  walls.  Those  are 
my  ancestors, — and  I  am  the  last.  My  race  perishes  with 
me.  I  have  no  future;  the  past  alone  is  mine.  Leave  me, 
then,  what  belongs  to  the  past;  a  part  of  life  that  can  still 
gladden  these  old  eyes.  I  do  not  wish  to  die  while  my  body 
still  lives." 

The  Professor  shuddered  involuntarily.  What  had  been 
this  man's  life,  to  have  induced  sudi  a  state  of  mind  ?  He 
did  not  know  how  to  reply. 

"  The  old  gate !"  Kostling  continued,  after  a  moment,  lifting 
his  head  a  little,  while  a  dim  fire  gleamed  in  his  gray  eyes. 
"  The  old  gate  !  To  whom,  save  me,  is  it  of  the  smallest  ac- 
count ?  Who,  besides  myself,  can  read  the  story  that  it  tells  ? 
The  history  of  my  race  is  written  upon  it,  Herr  Professor. 


THE    GREEN  GATE.  319 

Shall  I  destroy  the  story  of  my  line  before  I,  in  my  person, 
have  made  an  end  to  it?  Centuries  ago  the  town  bestowed 
the  gate  upon  a  Kostling,  i,s  a  tcken  of  high  honour,  because 
he  had  defended  it  against  an  attack  from  the  Freiherrs  von 
Honeburg  with  his  blood  and  the  blood  of  his  sons,  four  of 
whom  were  left  dead  upon  the  field, — bestowed  it  upon  him  for 
all  time,  as  the  ancient  document  has  it,  the  seals  of  which  are 
still  well  preserved.  The  Kostlings  were  the  guardians  of  the 
town,  and  have  repeatedly  defended  the  gate  and  bridge  against 
the  attacks  of  the  knightly  Houeburgers  ;  and  the  gate  is  thus 
a  memorial  of  loyal  citizenship.  Is  it  valueless  as  such  ?  To 
you,  I  suppose,  it  is.  What  do  you  care  about  the  archives  of 
this  town  and  my  family  ?  But  I  know  that  they  are  filled 
with  quarrels  between  the  Honeburgers  and  the  Kostlings,  with 
battles  about  this  gate.  And  the  enmity  survived  even  to  my 
own  time,  as  I  know  by  bitter  experience.  I  owe  to  it  a  des- 
olate old  age."  He  arose,  pulled  aside  the  window-curtain, 
and  pointed  out.-  "  There  are  the  ruins  of  the  Honeburg. 
The  castle  and  the  gate  have  confronted  each  other  in  menace 
for  almost  five  hundred  years.  Well,  then  ?  The  gate  shall 
not  be  destroyed  while  one  stone  of  the  Honeburg  is  left  upon 
another.  They  belong  together." 

For  awhile  the  old  man  maintained  his  attitude  at  the  win- 
dow, gazing  out  at  the  ruined  tower  in  the  distance.  If  the 
Professor  could  have  seen  his  eyes,  he  would  surely  have  been 
daunted  by  the  hatred  that  gleamed  in  them.  But  he  was 
pondering  the  last  words  that  had  been  spoken,  so  full  of  men- 
ace, and  yet,  perhaps,  cai^jle  of  being  turned  to  his  advantage. 
"  And  if  I  should  takeyro  at  your  word?"  he  cried,  yielding 
to  a  sudden  impulse.  "  If  the  ruins  of  the  Houeburg  are 
utterly  destroyed,  may  the  gate  fall  too  ?" 

Rustling  hastily  withdrew  the  hand  that  held  back  the  win- 
dow-curtain, arid  turned  an  astonished  face  upon  the  inquirer. 
Some  strong  expression  hovered  upon  his  lips,  but  it  was  not 


320  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

uttered.  He  smiled  compassionately.  "  Ah !  you  would  prom- 
ise what  you  cannot  perform,"  he  gravely  said. 

"You  can  put  it  to  the  test,"  the  Professor  replied.  "I 
propose  a  formal  exchange.  If  the  ruin  falls  the  gate  falls." 

The  old  man  shook  his  head.     "How  would  you ?" 

"  The  ruin  belongs  to  me." 

"  What  ?     Has  the  Freiherr  sold  it,  then  ?" 

"  Sir!  But  you  do  not  know, — I  am  the  Freiherr  of  Hone- 
burg,  the  youngest  of  the  name." 

Kostling  sank  back  in  his  chair  and  stared  at  him  in  wide- 
eyed  amazement.  "  You  are ?  No,  no,  no  !" 

"  I  am  Xaver  von  Honeburg :  there  is  no  doubt  of  it ;  the 
proof  is  at  your  command." 

The  old  man's  expression  grew  terrible  in  its  intensity. 

"You  are,"  he  faltered — "you  are ?  And  this  other 

name,  this "  He  snatched  up  the  card.  "  Schonrade — 

"  Bellarota,"  the  Professor  translated  for  him.  "  My 
mother " 

"Your  mother — Camilla  Bellarota?"  Kostling  almost 
shrieked.  "  Oh,  it  is  too  much !  too  much !"  His  head 
fell  back  against  the  high  chair,  his  eyes  looked  faint,  and 
his  arms  hung  by  his  side. 

The  two  cats  leaped  from  the  window-seat,  across  the  table, 
upon  the  floor,  and  purred  about  their  master's  legs,  humping 
their  backs  and  licking  his  feet  and  hands.  The  Professor 
was  so  startled  by  the  effect  of  his  communication  that  it  was 
only  after  the  lapse  of  a  minute  that  he  hastened  to  help  the 
half-unconscious  old  man.  At  histouch  the  form  quivered, 
the  head  moved.  "Is  it  true?"  IreRintly  asked.  "Are  you 

really  Camilla's  son,  Camilla,  who — who ?  Yes,  yes,  those 

are  her  features.  And  you  do  not  know — oh,  you  do  not 
know?"  His  eyes  filled  with  tears:  he  could  not  speak;  but 
he  began  to  cough  convulsively. 

"  What  do  I  not  know  ?"  the  Professor  asked,  after  a  few 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  321 

minutes,  during  which  Herr  Kb'stling  had  partly  recovered 
himself.     "  May  I  not  learn  it  now .?" 

"  No  !  no  !"  the  old  man  gasped.  "  Oh,  Camilla,  Camilla  1 
Is  she  alive?" 

"  She  is  living." 

"  And — your  father?" 

"  The  Count  von  Gleichenau  is  also  living." 

"  They  are  divorced,  are  they  not?     Divorced  !" 

"  Unfortunately,  they  are.  They  have  not  seen  each  other 
for  more  than  thirty  years." 

"Ah!  it  is  the  justice  of  Heaven!"  exclaimed  Kostling, 
clenching  his  raised  hand.  "  It  could  not  permit  them  to 
be  happy,  my  mortal  enemy  and  my —  Begone  !  begone, 
young  man  !  I  repent  my  words.  Leave  an  old  man  alone 
with  his  memories." 

The  Professor  grasped  his  hand.  "  No/'  he  said,  with 
warmth,  "  I  will  not  leave  you  now.  Heaven  is  my  witness 
that  I  never  meant  to  wound  you ;  I  had  no  idea  of  any  con- 
nection   Speak,  I  entreat  you  !  The  son  of  your  mortal 

enemy  has  a  right  to  learn  the  cause  of  this  enmity." 

"You  have  heard,"  Kcstling  exclaimed;    "  it  is  centuries , 
old,   and    bequeathed  from  generation  to   generation.     How 
should  he  and  I  escape  the  curse  ?     Do  you  not  feel  it  in  my 
presence?    You  ask  of  me — what  I  must  refuse;  and  you  will 
cross  that  threshold  my  enemy.     So  be  it !" 

Xaver  gravely  shook  his  head.  "  Not  your  enemy.  It 
were  a  crime  to  believe  that  such  dissensions  cannot  die.  You 
say  you  are  the  last  of  your  race ;  but  my  father,  if  he  has 
injured  you,  is  not  the  1?K  of  his :  I  am  living,  and  am  inno- 
cent of  all  that  has  occurred.  For  my  sake  speak,  and  tell 
me  what  atonement  I  can  make  during  your  life." 

"No  atonement  is  possible,"  said  Kostling;    "there  may 
be  some  consolation  in  the  thought  that  we  are  all  alike  un 
happy.     C::me  separates,  misfortune  reconciles." 
o* 


322  THE   ORE  EN  GATE. 

"  Let  me  guess,  then,"  said  Xaver.  "  You  loved  my 
mother." 

The  old  man  sighed  heavily.  "  And  she —  He  broke 
off,  arose,  and  walked  through  the  room.  Then  he  seated  him 
self  upon  a  chair  near  the  bed,  beside  the  second  window,  the 
curtains  of  which  were  closely  drawn.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  in  a 
low  tone,  "  you  shall  learn  all  that  words  can  tell.  You  will 

at  least  understand  then  why  I But  I  cannot  foretell 

your  opinion.  Perhaps  you  may  judge  of  such  matters  like 
a  genuine  Freiherr  von  Iloneburg,  and  not  at  all  after  my 
fashion." 

He  reflected  for  awhile,  and  then  began  :  "  My  father  was 
a  great  lover  of  opera  and  of  the  drama,  and  he  not  only  went 
regularly  to  the  theatre,  but  he  sought  the  society  of  artists 
and  actors  who  ranked  well  in  their  profession,  and  opened  his 
house  to  them  (it  was  not  so  lonely  then  as  now),  besides 
often  affording  them  material  aid.  Ilemembcr,  this  was  at  a 
time  when  the  actor's  profession  was  not  so  esteemed  as  at 
present,  and  when  those  belonging  to  it  were,  with  a  few  bril- 
liant exceptions,  excluded  from  aristocratic  society.  Of  course 
my  father,  in  a  town  full  of  old  patrician  prejudice,  had  many 
annoyances  to  encounter ; — but  he  persisted  in  following  his 
inclinations  and  listening  to  his  own  kind  heart.  More  than 
forty  years  ago  a  singer  appeared  on  the  stage  here,  calling 
himself  Carlo  Bellarota.  He  was  something  of  a  celebrity, 
and  my  father  valued  him,  not  only  because  of  his  fine  tenor 
voice,  but  also  because  he  was  a  man  of  artistic  culture  and 
excellent  breeding.  Unfortunately,  he  soon  entirely  lost  his 
voice.  The  public,  always  heartlessMn  such  cases,  hissed  him, 
and  the  director  dismissed  him.  Pain  at  being  thus  ill  treated, 
and  anxiety  for  the  future,  made  him  ill.  As  he  was  entirely 
without  means,  he  could  not  pay  for  his  lodgings,  and  would 
have  been  turned  into  the  street  but  for  my  father,  who  paid 
his  bills  and  procured  him  admission  to  the  hospital,  where  he 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  323 

saw  that  he  was  well  taken  care  of.  But  his  spirit  was 
broken,  and  his  body  did  not  long  survive.  He  died,  and 
my  father,  his  only  friend  in  his  need,  had  him  buried,  not 
in  the  pauper  burying-ground,  but  in  the  churchyard." 

Here  Kostling  paused,  overcome,  it  would  seem,  by  painful 
memories.  "  This  Carlo  Bellarota,"  he  at  last  began  again, 
"  had  a  daughter :  her  name  was  Camilla,  and  she  was  then  tea 
years  old.  The  child  had  been  her  father's  companion  in  his 
wanderings,  and  had  received  but  very  imperfect  instruction, 
spending  most  of  her  time  at  the  theatre  among  the  actors 
and  actresses,  and  even  dancing  in  public  now  and  then.  The 
director  of  our  theatre  would  have  kept  her  to  be  educated  for 
the  stage ;  this,  however,  my  good  father  would  not  allow ;  he 
took  Camilla  home  and  informed  his  household  that  she  was 
to  be  regarded  as  his  child,  very  much  in  opposition  to  the 
advice  of  his  friends,  who  thought  he  would  do  enough,  and 
more  than  enough,  if  he  sent  her  to  a  boarding-school.  But 
my  father  had  no  daughter, — he  hoped  that  Camilla  would  fill 
a  daughter's  place  in  his  life, — at  least  she  would  be  grateful. 

"  I  was  then  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old,  just  at  the  im- 
pressible age,  and  here  was  a  sister  who  was,  after  all,  not  really 
my  sister ;  the  gayest  of  companions,  who,  in  spite  of  her 
youth,  knew  so  much  of  which  I  was  ignorant,  and  who  was 
beautiful, — so  beautiful.  Yes  !  Camilla  was  exquisitely  lovely 
even  as  a  child.  Her  large  dark  eyes,  her  waving  masses  of 
black  hair,  her  airy,  graceful  figure, — before  long  she  was  my 
only  thought,  and  as  she  grew  in  intelligence  and  beauty,  and 
in  tim 3  became  the  dari'ng  of  every  one  around  her,  the  very 
apple  of  my  father's  eye,  I  felt  sure  that  Heaven  had  sent 
her  to  me,  and  that  I  should  be  the  happiest  mortal  in  the 
world  if  she  could  only  love  me. 

"  I  dared  to  believe  that  I  was  beloved, — I  believe  to  this 
day  that  I  was  beloved.  All  the  time  I  could  command  was 
spent  in  Camilla's  society.  I  played  with  her  so  long  as  she 


324  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

enjoyed  childish  amusements.  I  read  with  her,  studied  with 
her.  I  could  not  sing  with  her,  for  a  voice  had  been  denied 
me,  but  I  was  always  by  when  she  took  her  singing-lessons, 
and  accompanied  her  on  the  piano  when  she  practised.  She 
was  mine  by  every  tie  of  the  spirit ;  I  advised  and  guided 
her ;  she  confided  to  me  all  her  little  woes,  and  I  shared  her 
every  joy.  '  You  are  the  elder,  Lorenz,'  she  used  to  say,  'tell 
me  what  to  do.'  When  she  went  into  society  her  gayety  did 
not  separate  us.  She  was  passionately  fond  of  dancing,  but 
I  never  moved  gracefully,  and  preferred  to  stand  aloof  and 
watch  her  at  a  ball.  How  often  she  has  left  the  dance  to 
walk  and  talk  with  me,  until  I  myself  would  beg  her  to  re- 
turn !  As  she  waltzed,  if  I  stood  near,  she  would  smile  and 
nod  at  me,  and  I  was  happy  in  her  happiness.  The  next 
morning  we  would  sit  together  gravely  over  our  books.  I  had 
mastered  the  tongue  in  which  she  had  always  talked  with  her 
father,  and  I  used  it  in  conversing  with  her.  How  grateful 
she  was  !  '  You  are  the  only  one,'  she  used  to  say,  '  with  whom 
I  can  speak  from  my  heart.'  She  liked  to  consider  herself  a 
daughter  of  Italy,  and  her  mirror  told  her  she  was  right. 
Wherever  she  went  she  was  the  cynosure  of  every  eye,  but 
she  seemed  to  care  nothing  for  general  admiration, — I  was 
always  her  only  cherished  friend.  Had  I  not  a  right  to  be- 
lieve myself  loved? 

•'  On  her  seventeenth  birthday,  this  house  was  filled  with 
the  fragrance  of  flowers.  How  her  face  beamed  with  happi- 
ness when,  upon  entcrin  the  drawing-room,  she  found  the 
household  assembled  there  to  offer  her  their  gifts  and  con- 
gratulations ! 

" '  How  kind  you  are  to  the  poor  orphan !'  she  said,  when  we 
were  alone  together.  '  How  shall  I  ever  repay  you  ?' 

'"By  loving  me,  Camilla,'  I  replied,  more  boldly  than  I 
had  ever  spoken  to  her  before,  and  impelled  to  a  confession  of 
what  filled  my  heart.  She  seemed  not  to  understand  me,  for 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  325 

she  put  her  hand  in  mine,  saying,  '  I  do  love  you  dearly ;' 
and  as  she  spoke,  the  tears  came  into  her  eyes,  and  she  gazed 
into  mine,  until  she  must  have  read  my  heart  there ;  for  she 
suddenly  withdrew  her  hand  and  cast  down  her  eyes.  Then 
I  threw  myself  at  her  feet,  and  told  her  that  I  loved  her  more 
than  life  itself,  and  that  she  must  be  mine  forever.  The 
storm  of  passionate  expression  coming  from  one  usually  so 
calm  amazed  her.  '  I  never  thought  of  this,'  I  heard  her 
say.  as  if  to  herself.  But  when  I  implored  her  to  give  me 
the  answer  I  longed  for,  she  did  not  withstand  me,  but  threw 
herself  into  my  arms,  and  whispered,  '  Yes,  it  must  be  so ;  I 
can  have  no  truer  friend  in  this  world  !' 

"'God  knows  you  cannot,  dearest!'  I  cried,  in  a  rapture 
of  delight,  as  I  clasped  her  to  my  heart." 

As  he  recalled  this,  the  happiest  hour  of  his  life,  Kostling 
became  greatly  agitated.  He  had  arisen,  and  held  his  hands 
aloft,  as  if  actually  calling  Heaven  to  witness,  while  his  whole 
figure  seemed  loftier  and  more  dignified  than  before.  But 
now  he  sank  down  in  his  chair  again,  and  rested  his  head  on 
his  hand.  Thus  he  remained,  silent,  for  awhile.  The  Pro- 
fessor did  not  venture  to  arouse  him  from  his  reverie.  "  She 
did  not  love  him,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  She  was  self-deceived." 

"  I  had  expected,"  Kostling  began  again,  much  more 
quietly,  "  that  our  betrothal  would  have  been  a  cause  of 
heartfelt  joy  to  my  father.  I  was  mistaken.  He  seemed,  on 
the  contrary,  disagreeably  surprised,  saying,  as  Camilla  had 
done,  '  I  never  thought  of  this.'  He  loved  his  adopted  child, 
and  would  have  provided  handsomely  for  her,  but  it  had  never 
occurred  to  him  that  the  daughter  of  the  public  singer  who 
had  died  in  the  hospital  could  become  the  wife  of  his  only 
son.  Free  from  prejudice  though  he  was,  there  was  a  point 
where  his  old  patrician  pride  made  itself  heard,  and  it  sud- 
denly opposed  a  bar  to  the  fulfilment  of  my  hopes. 

"  My  father  said  everything  to  me  that  fathers  are  accus- 
28 


326  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

tomed  to  say  to  their  sons  in  such  cases;  but  I  refused  to 
listen.  Nothing  availed  to  shake  my  resolution.  The  property 
that  I  had  inherited  from  my  mother  made  me  independent 
of  my  father  in  a  worldly  point  of  view,  and  I  now  offered  to 
leave  him,  that  he  might  be  relieved  from  any  responsibility 
with  regard  to  me.  This  conquered  him.  '  No !  no  P  he  ex- 
claimed, '  I  yield, — be  happy  !  Whatever  my  son  does  I  will 
uphold  before  the  world.'  Camilla  had  known  of  and  justified 
his  opposition,  but  he  now  greeted  her  as  my  future  wife,  and 
arranged  for  a  large  fete  here,  at  which  our  betrothal  was  to 
be  publicly  announced. 

"  There  was  present  at  this  fete  an  officer  who  had  been 
stationed  in  the  town  for  awhile, — the  Freiherr  von  Hbneburg. 
He,  as  well  as  his  brother  officers,  had  paid  his  respects  to 
my  father  upon  his  arrival,  and  had,  of  course,  received  an 
invitation.  The  two  men  had  laughed  over  the  ancient  enmity 
between  their  two  houses,  as  at  some  shadowy  tradition.  '  We 
robber  knights  had  the  worst  of  it,'  the  Freiherr  jestingly 
observed.  '  There  lies  our  castle  in  ruins, — a  study  for  a 
landscape-painter,  while  the  green  gate  stands  stout  and  stiff, 
like  a  soldier  on  parade ;  and  the  Messrs.  Kostling  are  en- 
throned in  their  counting-room,  while  the  last  Honeburg, 
like  George  Brown  in  '  La  Dame  Blanche,'  is  reduced  to  his 
lieutenant's  pay.'  This  careless  good  humour  pleased  my  father. 

"  '  Your  inheritance  is  a  noble  name,'  he  replied ;  '  and 
your  sword,  which  can  make  it  glorious  in  defence  of  your 
native  land,  for  which  I  too  would  give  my  wealth.' 

"  'If  we  could  only  have  a  war!  The  whole  world  is  weary 
of  this  stupid  peace,'  Von  Honeburg  exclaimed. 

"  It  was  at  this  betrothal  festivity  that  Camilla  and  the 
Freiherr  first  met ;  and  afterwards  they  saw  each  other  often 
in  my  father's  house,  where  Von  Honeburg  was  continually 
invited,  and  at  all  the  gatherings  made  in  honour  of  our  be- 
trothal by  our  friends.  There  were  very  friendly  relations 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  327 

established  between  the  young  officer  and  myself;  he  con- 
stantly made  decided  efforts  to  obtain  my  friendship,  and  I 
never  took  it  at  all  amiss  that  he  paid  particular  court  to  Ca- 
milla,— danced  with  her  continually,  and  evidently  liked  to  sit 
next  her  at  table.  Why  should  she  not  receive  his  attentions 
graciously?  The  daughters  of  the  first  families  of  the  town 
were  proud  to  be  distinguished  by  him,  and  he  knew  well 
how  to  recognize  talent  and  beauty.  Was  not  Camilla  my 
own  ?  What  had  I  to  fear  ?  Oh,  forget — forget  that  she  is 
your  mother ! 

"  There  was  nothing  to  prevent  our  marriage.  My  father, 
however,  wished  it  postponed  for  a  year,  and  I  could  not  refuse 
to  yield  this  to  him,  who  had  yielded  so  much  to  me.  He 
told  me  afterwards  that  he  wished  to  give  us  each  time  to 
test  our  affection, — a  dangerous  precaution ;  the  reasons  then 
given  me  were  Camilla's  extreme  youth  and  the  preparations 
to  be  made  for  our  future  establishment.  What  happened  in, 
the  course  of  this  year,  the  longest  I  had  then  lived,  I  can 
only  surmise,  and  I  tell  you  the  result  of  these  surmises  as 
briefly  as  I  can.  The  Freiherr  was  true  to  the  traditions  of 
his  house;  he  trampled  our  rights  beneath  his  feet;  he  stole 
Camilla's  heart  from  me ;  he  beguiled  her  with  his  honeyed 
words,  poisoned  her  ear  with  flattery " 

"  He  loved  Camilla,"  the  Professor  interrupted.  "  I  know 
that  he  loved  her." 

"  He  had  no  right  to  love  her,"  the  old  man  passionately 
exclaimed,  "  for  she  was  mine.  And  he  never  loved  her  as  I 
did,  for  he  left  her,  after  she  had  sacrificed  everything  to  him, 
even  her  conscience.  Oh,  her  conscience  warned  her  and 
tormented  her  for  a  long  time.  I  could  not  understand  her 
sudden  changes  of  mood,  from  warmth  to  coldness,  her  half- 
stifled  sighs,  her  hastily-dried  tears,  her  laughter,  misleading 
even  herself.  I  attributed  it  all  to  girlish  whim,  to  nervous 
irritability,  to  vexation  at  the  postponement  of  our  marriage. 


328  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Unfortunately,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  home  for  a  month  upon 
business.  When  I  returned,  I  found  Camilla  greatly  changed, 
but  she  evaded  all  my  anxious  inquiries.  She  did  not  go  at 
all  into  society,  and  I  noticed  that  the  Freiherr  no  longer 
visited  at  the  house.  Why  was  it  ?  'I  desired  that  his  visits 
should  cease,'  she  said,  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears.  •  Has 
he  been  guilty  of  any  rudeness  to  you  ?'  I  asked,  astonished. 
She  shook  her  head  waywardly,  and  answered,  '  Beware  of 
him  :  he  is  a  Honeburg!'  " 

"  I  tried  to  interpret  her  words  innocently ;  probably  some 
unguarded  remark  of  his  had  oflended  her.  I  begged  my 
father  to  shorten  our  time  of  probation,  and  the  dav  for  the 
marriage  was  at  last  appointed.  Camilla  seemed  glad  of  this, 
and  for  a  week  she  was  almost  her  old  self  again.  Then  I 
learned  one  day  that,  while  I  had  been  busy  in  the  counting- 
room,  the  Freiherr  had  spent  an  hour  with  her.  '  Are  you 
reconciled  ?'  I  asked  her,  gaily.  She  looked  strangely  at  me, 
and  replied,  after  a  minute,  '  Yes  !' — nothing  but  '  yes  !'  But 
it  sounded  as  if  there  was  much  more  to  say, — I  could  not 
understand  what.  During  the  next  few  days  she  was  very 
restless,  secluding  herself  for  hours  at  a  time  in  her  own 
room,  and  even  when  she  was  with  me  seeming  absent  in 
thought.  I  remember  one  conversation  that  I  had  with  her, 
that  gave  me  food  for  reflection  at  the  time,  although  I  did 
not  understand  her.  She  asked  me  whether,  in  my  opinion, 
the  duty  of  gratitude  ranked  higher  than  the  duty  to  live.  I 
could  not  answer  her,  and  she  added,  '  Men  commonly  ex- 
pect gratitude  for  the  kindness  they  show  us,  and  yet  they  arc 
more  our  debtors  than  we  theirs.'  I  thought  this  view  rather 
selfish,  and  Camilla,  her  thoughts  evidently  wandering,  said, 
sadly,  '  When  parents  lose  a  dearly-loved  child,  are  they  not 
consoled  by  the  thought  of  the  joy  it  has  been  to  them  ?  It 
should  console  us  for  the  loss  of  those  we  love  that  we  have 
had  the  delight  of  loving  them.' 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  329 

"'Strange  fancies,'  I  thought, — 'born  of  her  agitation  on 
the  eve  of  a  step  that  is  the  most  important  that  can  be  taken.' 

I  was  soon  to  learn But  why  probe  that  torment  to  its 

depths?  There  is'little  more  to  tell.  On  my  marriage  morn 
we  awaited  the  bride.  Why  did  she  delay  so  long  ?  I  knocked 
at  the  door  again  and  again ;  in  vain.  I  ventured  to  open 
it, — she  was  gone." 

Kostling  hid  his  face  in  his  hands,  and  his  frame  trembled 
with  agony.  In  a  few  minutes,  however,  he  looked  up  with 
a  profound  sigh,  and  said,  "  It  is  past.  Upon  her  table  I 
found  a  letter.  '  I  cannot  be  yours,'  she  wrote, '  as  you  wish  I 
should.  I  have  had  a  fierce  struggle,  and,  even  now  that  I 
have  decided,  my  heart  bleeds.  I  love,  and  I  cannot  be  your 
wife  with  another  love  in  my  heart.  It  would  pain  you  to 
deceive  you,  it  pains  you  to  tell  you  the  truth.  What  is  to  be 
must  be.  Call  me  thankless  ;  blame,  despise,  forget  me  !  I 

cannot  struggle  any  longer "     I  was  prostrated  as  by  a 

stroke  of  lightning.  Weeks  afterwards  I  began  slowly  to  re- 
cover from  a  violent  attack  of  brain  fever.  I  never  have  been 
well  since, — I  never  shall  be  while  I  live. 

"  As  soon  as  I  could  stand  upright,  I  challenged  the  traitor. 
We  fought  with  pistols  in  the  room  above  the  green  gate.  I 
forced  him  to  make  no  allowance  for  my  weakness.  Three 
times  my  trembling  hand  missed  its  aim  ;  twice  he  intentionally 
shot  wide;  the  third  time  he  disabled  me  without  wounding 
me  dangerously.  Why,  oh,  why  did  not  his  bullet  find  my 
heart  ? 

"Thus  blood  flowed  again  upon  the  spot  which  had  seen 
bloody  strife  between  the  Freiherrs  von  Honeburg  and  my 
forefathers.  The  old  enmity  was  sealed  afresh,  and  now,  when 
I  look  up  from  my  garden  at  the  gate  and  the  old  bridge,  the 
thoughts  that  fill  my  life  crowd  upon  me.  Do  not  ask,  young 
man,  that  I  should  look  for  them  in  vain,  before  my  eyes  close 
forever." 

28* 


330  THE   QREEN  GATE. 

He  arose,  and,  walking  to  the  window,  stood  -gazing  at  the 
ruin,  absently  stroking  the  cats,  who  had  taken  up  their  pre- 
vious position  on  the  window-sill.  The  Professor  felt  that 
any  further  discussion  would  be  useless,  and  that  it  was  time  to 
take  his  leave.  "  I  thank  you  for  these  revelations,"  he  said, 
"  which  have  explained  much  that  has  been  a  riddle  to  me 
hitherto.  For  the  first  time  I  now  understand  my  mother, 
and  how  she  came  to  hate  the  husband  she  surely  loved  once. 
I  understand  your  suffering :  you  lost  a  bride  and  a  sister  at 
one  and  the  same  blow ;  but  if  years  cannot  dull  the  pain,  is 
there  not  some  consolation  in  what  Camilla  said,  '  I  have  had 
the  delight  of  loving'  ?  " 

He  shook  his  head.  "  Cold  comfort !  No,  no ;  I  do  not 
choose  to  be  so  consoled." 

The  Professor  approached  him.  "  Can  you  give  your  hand," 
he  said,  with  gentle  cordiality,  "  to  the  son  of  those  who  have 
so  wronged  you,  or  must  that  wrong  be  visited  upon  him  ?" 

Kb'stling  hesitated  ;  then,  giving  him  his  hand,  hastily  turned 
away,  saying,  harshly,  "  Farewell !  but  we  must  never  meet 
again." 

Schb'nrade  made  no  reply  ;  but  a  voice  within  told  him  this 
could  not  be.  As  he  left  the  house,  he  looked  up  involuntarily 
at  the  little  leaded  panes  of  the  window  above  the  gateway. 
There  the  first  act  of  the  tragedy  had  been  concluded.  He 
knew  it  all  no  ,v. 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  331 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

IN  very  melancholy  mood  Professor  Schonrade  returned  to 
his  friend  Moritz  Amberger  with  the  result  of  his  endeavours, 
— only  the  result ;  Moritz  was  not  sufficiently  near  a  friend  to 
be  informed  of  all  that  Kostling  had  told  him.  "  The  old 
man  has  his  reasons,"  he  said,  "  and  from  his  point  of  view 
they  are  valid.  At  all  events,  they  must  suffice  us." 

Moritz  took  a  certain  kind  of  satisfaction  in  learning  that 
the  Professor  had  effected  nothing  more  than  he  had  been  able 
to  do.  "  What  shall  we  do  ?"  he  asked,  more  cheerfully  than 
the  situation  seemed  to  warrant.  "  It  is  too  provoking  that 
we  cannot  get  round  that  old  heap  of  stones." 

"  Would  it  not  be  possible  to  leave  it  on  one  side,  and  carry 
the  street  past  it?"  asked  Schonrade. 

"  Impossible  !  we  should  trench  upon  Feinberg's  property." 

"  Well,  then," — and  the  Professor  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
— "  I  have  nothing  more  to  say." 

"  Could  we  not  obtain  from  the  government  a  right  of  ap- 
propriation ?" 

'l  By  no  means !"  the  Professor  exclaimed,  indignantly. 
"  Take  away  the  old  man's  property  ?  By  no  means  !  I  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  such  a  measure." 

"  But  if  we  are  governed  by  considerations  of  delicacy ' 

"  Better  give  up  the  whole  project,"  the  Professor  declared  , 
"  which,  indeed,  I  never  should  have  taken  up,  had  I  known 
our  opponent  and  the  trump-card  he  holds  in  his  hand.  I 
shall  return  to  Berlin,  and  write  from  there  as  to  what  is  to 
be  done  next." 

Thus  matters  stood.  Even  when  Moritz  returned  from 
'Change  and  reported  that  the  railway-project  was  now  public 


332  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

gossip,  and  that  Feinberg  was  mustering  his  forces  for  a  fresh 
attack,  Schb'nrade  was  firm  in  his  determination,  not  to  use 
the  law  as  a  weapon  against  the  old  man.  He  could  scarcely 
hope  for  a  peaceful  adjustment ;  but  by  nothing  save  a  peace- 
ful adjustment  would  he  consent  to  attain  their  end. 

He  set  out  for  Berlin  with  a  heavier  heart  than  he  had 
brought  thence.  Wherever  he  turned,  trouble  seemed  to 
await  him. 

But  when  he  reached  his  lodgings,  he  found  there  a  pack- 
age of  letters  that  instantly  absorbed  all  his  attention.  It 
came  from  Florence,  and  contained  Philip's  and  Katrine's 
communications,  with  the  papers  found  in  the  Palazzo  Bella- 
rota.  Philip  described  with  great  minuteness  exactly  how  they 
had  been  found;  but  it  is  to  be  feared  that  Xaver  scarcely 
displayed  sufficient  interest  in  that  part  of  his  package.  Ka- 
trine joyously  informed  him  that  she  had  betrayed  his  secret 
at  the  right  moment, — that  her  mother  was  most  favourably 
inclined  towards  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg, — and  that  a  few 
lines  from  him  to  Frau  Barbara  would  surely  meet  with  a 
gracious  reception.  Then  came  the  invitation  to  the  wedding, 
and  a  pressing  request  not  to  let  the  long  journey  prevent  his 
accepting  it,  and  a  commission  to  select  a  wedding-present  for 
Lucia,  that  must  be  "  very  northern  in  character,"  and  con- 
gratulations for  Camilla,  which  he  did  not  understand,  for  he 
had  not  yet  read  Philip's  letter  through.  He  looked  through 
the  documents ;  they  entirely  confirmed  his  mother's  state- 
ments. For  one  moment  he  rejoiced  for  her  sake ;  but  the 
next  he  asked  himself,  with  a  shrug,  "  What  then  ?  We  are 
what  we  are.  If  Frau  Amberger  values  such  things,  so 
much  the  better  for  Katrine  and  me.  It  is  of  no  real  impor- 
tance." 

Greatly  cheered  by  this  episode,  he  added  Katrine's  letter 
to  the  others  from  her  hand,  which  he  always  carried  with  him 
in  his  letter-case,  and  then,  refolding  the  old  documents,  took 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  333 

them  with  him  to  his  father.  An  explanation  with  him  seemed 
more  desirable  even  than  a  visit  to  his  mother. 

The  Count  was  delighted  to  see  his  eldest  son  again,  an  1 
Kunibert  was  unaffectedly  rejoiced  to  welcome  his  brother. 
Xaver  thought  him  looking  much  stronger  than  when  he 
had  left  him,  and  the  Count  explained  that  a  change  in  his 
condition  for  the  better  had  undoubtedly  taken  place.  "  I 
ascribe  it  in  great  part  to  your  influence,"  he  continued  j 
"  you  have  cheered  and  refreshed  my  poor  boy,  who  was 
doubtless  affected  by  my  own  melancholy  mood.  He  is  begin- 
ning to  have  some  confidence  in  himself,  and  that  will  prove 
his  best  medicine." 

"  I  wish,"  Xaver  replied,  "  that  I  were  always  as  successful. 
Unfortunately " 

He  began  a  detailed  account  of  all  that  had  happened.  The 
Count  listened  attentively,  but  without  eager  interest  until 
mention  was  made  of  the  green  gate.  Then,  at  the  name  of 
its  possessor,  he  was  evidently  disturbed,  saying,  "  Yes — yes  ! 
it  belongs  to  the  Kostling  house.  The  Kostling  house — there 

is  a  sad  story — and  I  and  your  mother But  go  on :  I  am 

prepared  for  everything." 

Xaver  thought  it  right  to  repeat  to  him  his  conversation 
with  the  unhappy  old  man.  "  Thus  the  matter  stands,"  he 
concluded ;  "  and  I  admit  that  I  felt  the  deepest  compassion 
for  Herr  Kostling,  although  I  am  convinced  that  my  mother 
did  not  love  him,  and  that  neither  would  have  found  happi- 
ness in  their  union." 

"  True,  true,"  the  Count  eagerly  confirmed  his  words.  ::  I 
will  neither  defend  nor  deny  the  wrong  I  committed.  When 
I  first  knew  Camilla,  she  was  betrothed,  and  I,  who  knew  that 
she  was  so,  did  not  shun  her  as  soon  as  I  felt  myself  passion- 
ately attracted  by  her,  but  I  trampled  upon  her  lover's  right 
in  striving  to  gain  her  affection.  There  is  nothing  that  can 
excuse  me  but  the  strength  of  niy  passion,  which  he  can  hardly 


334  THE   GREEN   GATE. 

be  expected  to  take  into  consideration.  It  is,  however,  per- 
fectly true  that  Camilla  loved  him  only  as  a  friend  and  brother, 
and  that  even  when  she  promised  to  marry  him  she  had  a 
foreboding  that  she  could  not  make  him  happy  as  his  wife. 
If  I  had  not  appeared,  Camilla  would  have  come  to  under- 
stand her  own  heart,  and  would  not  have  sacrificed  herself 
to  her  feeling  of  gratitudfe,  or  she  would  have  had  even 
more  unhappiness  in  that  marriage  than  I  afterwards  caused 
her.  We  loved  from  the  first  moment  that  we  met,  with  an 
intensity  against  which  it  was  in  vain  to  struggle.  As  we  then 
felt,  suicide  would  have  been  preferable  to  separation." 

"  But  why  such  secrecy  ?"  Xaver  ventured  to  ask.  "  Would 
it  not  have  been  better  to  confess  frankly — 

"  I  advised  it,"  the  Count  interrupted  him  ;  "  but  Camilla 
would  not  listen  to  me,  and  it  is  only  justice  to  her  to  admit 
that  our  shares  in  such  a  confession  would  have  been  very 
unequal.  I  owed  nothing  to  the  Kostlings,  except  what  was 
due  from  a  guest  who  had  been  kindly  received  beneath  their 
roof,  and  I  was  quite  ready  to  be  held  accountable  for  my 
actions.  Camilla,  on  the  other  hand,  was  not  only  breaking 
with  a  lover,  but  she  was  requiting  with  a  blow  the  kindness 
of  those  to  whom  she  owed  a  vast  debt  of  gratitude,  and  from 
whom,  should  she  confess,  she  could  not  expect  absolution. 
The  thought  was  intolerable  to  her  of  remaining  a  day,  an 
hour,  beneath  their  roof  after  such  a  revelation.  '  If  they 
would  cast  me  off  in  anger,'  she  once  said  to  me,  '  I  would  tell 
them  all.  But  they  would  be  gentle  and  kind  to  me ;  they 
would  assail  me  with  entreaties  to  consider,  to  take  time  for 
reflection ;  they  would  torture  my  heart,  and  at  last,  when  it 
was  all  in  vain,  their  patrician  pride  would  prompt  them  to 
play  a  part  before  the  world  that  would  be  sad  indeed.  No, 
I  will  seem  as  guilty  as  I  am  ;  they  shall  be  justified  in  de- 
spising me.'  I  still  hesitated,  for  I  felt  that  my  position  as  an 
officer  required  a  different  course  ;  but  what  did  any  consider- 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  335 

ation  avail  against  the  strength  of  my  passion  ?  An  elope- 
ment was  arranged,  and  that  very  day  I  sent  in  my  resignation 
from  the  army." 

Xaver  sighed.  "  And  all  the  evils  that  have  been  the  result 
of  the  act  may  be  explained,  but  not  averted.  Kostling  will 
not  be  persuaded.  The  failure  of  the  house  of  Amberger  is 
certain,  and  your  losses  will  be  by  no  means  small." 

The  Count  did  all  he  could  to  console  him  upon  this  score, 
reminding  him  that  the  railway  undertaking  was  only  post- 
poned ;  the  green  gate  must  come  down  some  day,  and  there 
was  no  need  of  putting  a  stop  to  the  preparations  that  were 
making.  There  must  be  a  conference  with  Fairfax  and  Wiesel, 
who  were  now  won  over  to  the  enterprise,  and  if  Amberger 
still  had  time " 

"  And  his  mother  and  sister  are  perfectly  ignorant  of  the 
misfortune  that  threatens  them  !"  exclaimed  Xaver.  H3  then 
told  his  father  of  the  contents  of  Philip's  and  Katrine's  let- 
ters, and  thus  came  to  speak  of  the  discovery  of  the  papers, 
which  he  now  laid  upon  the  table. 

For  his  own  part,  he  attached  very  little  importance  to  the 
facts  they  established ;  his  mother  would  doubtless  exult,  he 
Bald,  in  jest,  that  she  had  been  in  the  right ;  he  did  not  grudge 
her  that  innocent  pleasure.  But  the  Count  took  an  entirely 
different  view  of  the  matter,  judging  from  his  grave  face  and 
the  eager  attention  he  paid  his  son.  He  did  not  immediately 
make  any  reply,  but  unfolded  the  papers,  an  1  began  to  ex- 
amine them.  "  There  is  no  doubt  of  their  authenticity,"  the 
Professor  remarked,  by  the  way,  "  and  there  really  is  very  little 
to  interest  you  in  them."  His  father  pursued  his  examina- 
tion, however,  only  asking  an  explanation,  from  ti.ne  to  time, 
of  certain  words,  the  significance  of  which  he  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  understand.  When  he  had  finished,  he  arose  and  walked 
to  the  window,  where  he  stood  with  his  back  to  his  son,  appar- 
ently lost  in  thought.  Whence  this  sudden  change  of  mood  ? 


336  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

Could  these  papers ?  Xaver  looked  them  through  again 

for  the  sake  of  occupation. 

After  awhile  the  Count  returned  to  him ;  he  was  very  pale, 
and  walked  unsteadily,  regarding  his  son  with  great  earnest- 
ness as  he  approached  him.  "  Did  you  bring  me  these  papers 
for  a  special  reason  ?"  he  asked. 

Xaver  looked  up  in  amazement.     "  For  a  special  reason  ?" 

"  With  any  especial  aim— —  ?    Tell  me." 

"  Not  that  I  know  of.  I  bring  you  the  papers  because  I 
have  just  received  them,  and  because  the  manner  of  their  dis- 
covery was  curious." 

"  And  you  care  nothing  about  them?" 

"  Nothing  whatever  !  You  know  that  I  have  made  no  use 
as  yet  of  my  Freiherr's  crest,  and  this  influx  of  Italian  blue 
blood  does  not  interest  me  much." 

The  Count  slowly  shook  his  head.  "  Inconceivable  !"  he 
muttered  to  himself.  "  Will  you  leave  these  papers  with 
me  ?"  he  asked,  after  awhile. 

"  Certainly  ;  but "  and  he  hesitated. 

"  But  what  ?" 

"I  hardly  like  to  keep  them  from  my  mother,  who  will 
take  much  more  pleasure  in  them  than  I  do." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?    And  why?" 

"  Good  heavens !  Why,  you  know  that  she  really  took  great 
pains  to  have  these  facts  established." 

"  To  be  sure, — to  be  sure  !" 

Xaver  could  not  comprehend  him.  "  I  cannot  understand 
your  emotion,  and  still  less  why  you  should  appeal  so  to  me. 
These  papers " 

The  Count  hastily  took  his  hand.  "  Forgive  me,  Xaver," 

he  entreated.  "  You  cannot  see  that Enough,  we  will 

not  speak  of  it  now.  At  some  future  time,  my  son.  Will  you 
intrust  these  papers  to  me?" 

"  If  my  mother •" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  337 

"  If  your  mother  consents,  you  would  say.  But  I  do  not 
mean  to  keep  them,  except  until  she  sees  them,  and  I  pray  you 
to  allow  me  to  take  them  to  her." 

"  You,  father  ?" 

"  I  myself." 

"You  would " 

"  Take  advantage  of  an  opportunity  that  may  never  occur 
again  of  approaching  her.  These  papers  will  be  of  real  signifi- 
cance to  Camilla  only  as  coming  from  me." 

Xaver  sprang  up.  "  You  will  go  to  her, — to  seek  a  recon- 
ciliation?" 

"  It  has  long  been  my  desire  and  intention."  the  Count  re- 
plied, gently,  "  but  I  could  hardly  hope  for  any  result  from  my 
efforts  if  I  went  of  myself,  alone.  Now  I  have  an  errand,  and, 
even  although  I  gain  nothing  of  what  I  desire,  I  shall  not  be 
entirely  disappointed.  You  see  I  do  not  wish  to  rob  Camilla." 

The  Professor  rolled  up  the  papers  and  handed  them  to  him. 
"  I  wish  you  all  success  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  If  my  entreaties 
can  avail  anything,  they  shall  not  be  wanting.  I  will  go  to 
her  immediately,  and  try  to  soften  her  mood.  My  letters  have 
been  full  of  all  that  I  could  think  of  that  might  lead  her  to 
gentler  thoughts  of  you." 

Thus  he  took  his  leave,  quite  cheerful  again,  and  his  father 
repeated  to  himself,  as  his  son  left  the  room,  "  Inconceivable  ! 
inconceivable  !  Is  it  possible,"  he  thought,  "  that  he  does  not 
see  the  immense  importance  to  himself  of  the  discovery  of  these 
papers  ?  Has  his  practical  sense  deserted  him  on  this  occa- 
sion ?  or  does  he  affect  ignorance  ?  No,  no  !  he  is  all  frankness 
and  honesty.  There  is  not  a  drop  of  falsehood  in  his  blood. 
He  deserves  that  fate  should  deal  brilliantly  with  him, — 
and,  thank  God,  I  can  atone  for  the  wrong  I  committed."  He 
opened  the  door  into  the  adjoining  room,  where  Kunibert  sat 
writing,  and,  approaching  him,  laid  his  hand  caressingly  upon 
his  head.  "  My  poor  boy  !"  he  said,  compassionately, 
p  29 


338  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

The  lad  turned  and  kissed  his  father's  hand.  "  Why  am  I 
your  poor  boy  ?"  he  asked.  "  I  feel  really  well  to-day.  Haa 
Xaver  gone  ?  I  hoped  he  would  want  to  see  what  I  have  been 
doing  while  he  was  away." 

"  Just  at  present  he  is  very  much  occupied  with  his  own 
affairs,"  the  Count  replied.  "  He  will  soon  come  again." 

After  a  pause,  he  asked,  "  Are  you  very  fond  of  him  ?" 

"  Very  fond,"  the  lad  replied. 

"  Would  your  affection  stand  a  test  ?" 

His  son  looked  at  him  with  surprise  in  his  large  eyes.  "  Any 
test,  I  think,"  he  answered. 

His  father  put  his  hands  on  either  side  of  his  head,  and 
kissed  his  brow.  "  Oh,  how  little  we  know !"  he  said,  with  a 
sigh,  as  he  went  to  his  room. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE  Professor  was  glad  to  have  finished  his  business  report 
to  his  father,  and,  as  he  walked  along  the  street  towards  his 
mother's  house,  he  recapitulated,  in  thought,  Katrine's  letter, 
and  then  reflected  upon  what  course  he  should  pursue  to 
prepare  his  mother  for  the  visit  she  was  about  to  receive.  So 
preoccupied  was  he  that  he  scarcely  heeded  the  passers-by,  but 
walked  along  with  eyes  bent  upon  the  ground,  when  suddenly 
an  equipage  drew  up  to  the  sidewalk,  so  close  beside  him  that 
he  started,  while  at  the  same  moment  he  heard  his  name  called. 

In  a  very  elegant  vehicle,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  horses,  sat 
Sidonie  Feinberg,  by  the  side  of  Herr  von  Fuchs.  She  held 
the  reins,  and,  leaning  forward,  nodded  to  Schonrade. 

"  Is  it  really  you?"  she  exclaimed,  with  a  laugh.  "  Oh,  I 
know ;  you  have  been  away,  and  have  given  my  poor  Moritz, 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  339 

who  was  in  a  bad  case,  a  helping  hand.  Very  kind  of  you, 
I'm  sure.  Is  it  true  that  he  has  some  romantic  liaison  with 
a  gardener's  daughter  ?  I  congratulate  him.  An  admirable 
thing  for  him  !  When  will  you  tell  us  all  about  it,  my  dear 
Herr  Professor?" 

"  Friiulein  Feinberg,  the  street  is  hardly  the " 

"  Hardly  the  place  ?  True,  my  steeds  are  much  too  impa- 
tient. But  you  will  come  to  us  soon,  will  you  not  ?  Good 
heavens !  this  is  really  the  only  way  to  catch  you.  By  the 
way,  Herr  von  Fuchs,  take  off  your  hat  to  your  old  friend.  I 
have  the  honour,  my  dear  Herr  Professor,  to  present  to  you 
my  future  bridegroom.  Why  do  you  laugh  ?" 

"  Because  your  announcement  is  made  so  drolly.  Permit 
me  to " 

"For  heaven's  sake,  do  not  congratulate  us  in  the  street. 
That  would  be  too  droll.  But  come  as  soon  as  you  can,  0 
most  conscientious  of  men !  You  see  I  am  no  longer  in  the 
slightest  danger  from  you.  I  shall,  I  trust,  see  you  soon." 
She  nodded  again,  gave  her  horses  the  rein,  and  drove  off. 

"  '  Birds  of  a  feather,'  "  the  Professor  thought  to  himself,  as 
he  continued  upon  his  way.  "  This  Fuchs !  his  debts  never 
troubled  him  much.  It  was  written  in  the  stars  that  he  was 
to  marry  an  heiress,  and  there  she  is.  They  will  be  very 
content  together  as  long  as  the  paternal  million  lasts." 

His  mother  was  in  her  most  genial  mood,  busy  at  her  piano, 
reading  some  new  music  that  greatly  interested  her.  She  in- 
vited her  son  to  lunch  with  her,  and  he  accepted  her  invita- 
tion, to  her  surprise,  as  she  immediately  betrayed.  "  What ! 
will  you  really  stay  ?"  she  asked,  with  mock  dismay.  "  I  was 
not  prepared  for  this.  But  so  much  the  better.  I  asked  you 
in  good  faith.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  we  shall  have  a  couple 
of  very  little  birds.  We  will  share  them.  There  will  be  a 
profusion  of  sweets,  at  all  events."  She  gave  the  necessary 
orders  to  her  duenna,  and  settled  herself  comfortably  in  the 


340  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

corner  of  the  sofa.  "  And  now,  nay  child,  tell  me  all,"  she 
said. 

This  was  rather  a  difficult  task;  her  thoughts  continually 
took  a  turn  suggested  by  some  word  of  his,  and  she  inter- 
rupted repeatedly.  He  liked  to  talk  thus  with  her,  however ; 
and  there  was  much  to  say,  for  he  told  her  of  Katrine,  and 
Katrine  was  in  Florence ;  Florence,  Italy,  Italian  music,  the 
Italian  opera,  Carlo  Bellarota,  wicked  men, — each  subject  fol- 
lowed the  preceding  one  so  naturally  ;  and  thus  they  got  back 
to  the  Ambergers'  native  town,  and  Xaver  ventured  to  speak 
of  Moritz  and  his  affairs,  at  first  only  generally,  then  more 
particularly,  but  always  without  touching  the  point  upper- 
most in  his  mind.  He  did  not  wish  to  spoil  his  mother's 
luncheon, — and  he  succeeded  admirably  ;  she  ate  her  bird  with 
evident  relish,  and  gave  her  son  the  largest  half  of  the  sweet 
omelette,  of  which,  to  her  great  content,  he  did  not  leave  a 
morsel.  But  when  the  meal  was  concluded,  it  was  time  to 
speak  of  graver  matters. 

He  then  grew  absent-minded,  not  in  appearance  only,  but 
in  reality,  and  scarcely  heard  her  as  she  criticised  the  candied 
fruits  and  declared  that  they  were  nowhere  so  delicious  as  at 
Venice,  until  at  last  she  asked  him  what  he  was  thinking  of. 
"Anxieties  of  various  kinds,  mother  dear,"  he  replied,  with 
a  sigh.  "  I  forget  them  for  awhile,  when  we  are  so  happy 
together,  but  they  will  return  and  demand  attention.  I  am 
sure  you  know  how  this  is." 

"  Indeed  I  do,"  she  answered,  looking  at  her  son  with  an 
air  of  tender  apprehension  ;  "  but  I  thought  you  had  every- 
thing that  your  heart  could  desire." 

"  My  heart !"  he  said,  lifting  his  eyebrows.  "  Hardly  that, 
while  I  see  my  father  and  mother  alienated " 

"  Not  a  word  more,"  she  entreated,  casting  down  her  eyes ; 
"  you  promised  me — 

"  What   I  am  unable  to   perform,"  he   interrupted   her. 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  341 

*•  There  are  other  anxieties  too,  dearest  mother,  of  a  more 
worldly  nature,  and  they  depend  upon  circumstances  about 
which  we  may  be  silent,  but  which  are  none  the  less  real.  Do 
you  remember  the  green  gate?" 

"  The  green  gate  ?  By  the — Kostling  house  ?  What  of 
it?" 

"It  is  in  our  way,  and  if  it  does  not  come  down  a  large 
amount  of  money  will  be  sacrificed ;  Moritz  Amberger  will  be 
bankrupt,  Frau  Barbara  Amberger  a  poor  woman,  Katrine's 
inheritance  lost,  and  Philip  will  have  but  a  melancholy  wed- 
ding." 

Camilla  listened  eagerly.     "  But  what  connection ?" 

He  tried  to  place  clearly  before  her  the  importance  of  the 
old  structure,  or  rather  of  the  spot  upon  which  it  stood,  and 
then  spoke  of  its  possessor,  whom  he  had  visited  and  had 
found  entirely  inexorable.  Camilla  did  not  interrupt  him,  but 
sat  perfectly  still,  with  tightly-compressed  lips.  When  he 
paused,  she  looked  up,  as  if  terrified,  for  an  instant  to  his  face. 
"  And  do  you  know  all  that?"  she  asked. 

"  I  know  all  that,"  he  replied ;  "  Kostling  has  forgotten 
nothing,  and  withheld  nothing  from  me.  He  is  greatly  to  be 
pitied." 

"  He  is  greatly  to  be  pitied,"  said  Camilla,  resting  her  head 
on  her  hand.  "  It  was  his  misfortune  to  love  me,  who  could 
not  love  him  in  return.  But  perhaps  I  might  have  learned  to 
love  him  in  time." 

"  No,  mother,  I  think  not !"  exclaimed  Xaver  ;  "  I  think 
not.  I  felt  convinced,  from  Kostling's  own  words,  that  you 
never  sould  have  truly  loved  him.  A  union  with  him  would 
have  oeen  contrary  to  your  nature ;  it  would  have  been  misery 
as  soon  as  you  really  understood  yourself.  But  it  is  greatly  to 
be  deplored  that  the  sisterly  affection  which  you  gave  him, 
and  which  might  have  blessed  both  your  lives,  could  not  last. 
Now,  after  such  sorrowful  experiences,  when  you  have  survived 

29* 


342  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

the  tempests  of  life,  and  can  think  and  feel  more  calmly,  you 
may  suspect  yourself  of  having  made  a  mistake.  But  it  was 
no  mistake  !  The  heart — the  heart  that  loves — rejects  the 
idea.  None  the  less  does  Kostling  deserve  our  compassion, 
for,  whether  wrongly  or  rightly,  you  were  the  cause  of  grievous 
woe  to  him, — a  burden  of  woe,  which,  faithful  to  his  sorrow, 
he  bears  about  with  him  to  this  day." 

Camilla  shook  her  head  sadly.  "  I  cannot  acquit  myself," 
she  said, — "I  cannot.  Then  I  thought  otherwise;  I  would 
sooner  have  died  than  have  stood  before  the  altar  with  him. 
But  I  owed  it  to  him  to  tell  him  the  truth.  His  pain  might 
not  have  been  less,  but  I  should  have  been  spared  the  re- 
proaches of  my  conscience."  Again  she  leaned  her  head  upon 
her  hand,  and  said,  as  if  to  herself,  "  I  loved  him  as  a  brother  ; 
suddenly  he  was  my  lover,  and  my  own  heart  was  unchanged. 
I  hardly  knew  that  he  did  not  possess  my  entire  affection 
until  I  had  to  struggle  with  a  genuine  passion,  while  my  feel- 
ing for  him  was  unchanged.  It  was  only  when  I  knew  that 
he  had  a  right  to  expect  of  me  more  than  I  could  give  that 
I  began  to  suffer  unspeakably.  I  could  not  tell  him.  It 
seemed  too  much  to  hope  for  that  he  should  forgive  me.  I 
would  not  ask  him  for  pardon ;  if  I  were  guilty,  let  him  know 
me  so.  Afterwards  I  felt  the  agony  of  that  sting." 

"  Its  pain  would  have  been  less  if  you  could  have  found 
the  happiness  that  you  expected  in  your  love,"  her  son  ob- 
served, taking  her  hand  in  his,  and  leaning  towards  her.  "  It 
would  pain  you  less  now  if  you  would  be  reconciled  to  him 
for  love  of  whom  you  transgressed  an  irksome  duty, — if 

you " 

"  You  speak  of  your  father,"  she  again  interrupted  him,  in 
a  sterner  tone.  "  How  is  a  reconciliation  to  be  thought  of? 
Can  he  himself  seriously  desire  it  ?  And  upon  what  grounds 
could  it  take  place  ?  He  cannot  be  just  to  us, — cannot ! 
Can  we  grant  that  he  was  right  ?  I  do  not  wish  to  hinder 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  343 

you  from  kissing  the  hand  that  thrust  you  forth, — it  is  your 
father's ;  but  I  am  bound  to  him  by  no  ties  of  nature,  and 
those  which  we  ourselves  devised  have  been  wantonly  severed." 

"  They  are  not  severed,  mother  !"  Xaver  exclaimed.  "  They 
exist  indestructibly  in  me.  Blot  me  from  existence,  mother, 
and  then  say  that  that  year  at  the  Hbneburg  was  a  dream, — a 
space  of  time  to  be  regarded  as  some  illusion  of  fancy.  Am  I 
not  my  father's  and  my  mother's  son  ?  And  shall  those  two, 
who  in  me  are  indissolubly  united,  live  eternally  apart  because, 
as  frail  mortals,  they  erred  ?  Ask  your  inmost  heart,  mother, 
could  you  hate  my  father  as  you  hated  him  had  you  not  loved 
him  as  you  loved, — had  not  your  love  lived  on,  and  ever  and 
again  revolted  at  his  fickleness?  And  if  in  his  heart  he 
never  has  been  faithless  to  you,  and  if  of  late  his  thoughts 

have  been  filled  with  you  and  you  alone Mother  !  Is  it 

impossible  for  you  to  forgive?" 

As  his  words  poured  forth,  full  of  eager  entreaty,  he  sank 
down  upon  his  knees  before  her,  and  looked  imploringly  into 
her  face,  which  she  tried  to  avert,  as  if  unwilling  to  yield  to 
an  agency  that  was  asserting  its  power  over  her. 

"Not  thus,  my  son,"  she  said,  "not  thus!  Rise,  I  pray 
you !  Do  not  torture  me.  Rise  !" 

"  Mother !"  he  exclaimed,  throwing  his  arms  around  her, 
"if  you  love  me  1" 

Her  hand  stroked  his  black  curls,  but  her  face  was  still  turned 
from  him ;  and  there  was  a  dreamy  fire  in  her  dark  eyes. 

"  Rise  !"  she  repeated  ;  but  her  voice  faltered. 

He  only  clasped  her  closer  in  his  arms.  "  If  you  love  me. 
mother,  forget, — forgive  !" 

"  I  cannot,"  she  replied  ;  but  so  low  and  faint  was  her  voice 
that  her  words  scarcely  reached  his  ear.  She  put  her  arm 
around  him,  and  endeavoured  to  raise  his  head.  He  would 
not  lift  it,  but  buried  his  face  in  her  lap.  At  this  moment 
the  bell  rang  loudly.  Camilla  started.  Xaver  looked  up, 


344  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

without  rising  from  his  knees.  "  Be  kind,  mother !"  he  im- 
plored, seeking  her  eyes. 

The  door  opened,  and  the  old  servant  announced,  "  A 

stranger  wishes  to ''  Then  she  paused,  amazed  at  the 

posture  of  mother  and  son. 

"  I  am  at  home  to  no  one,"  Camilla  said  to  her, — "  to  no 
one  at  present." 

Xaver  arose,  and  took  his  hat.  •''  To  no  one  ?"  he  asked, 

eagerly.  "  Mother,  if !  Let  me  see  who "  He 

opened  the  door  wide,  and  held  out  his  hand  to  some  one 
standing  upon  the  threshold. 

"  So  soon  ?''  he  asked,  in  an  agitated  voice.  Then,  taking 
the  stranger  by  the  arm,  he  led  him  into  the  room. 

"  Mother,  it  is  my  father  !"  he  said,  in  a  clear,  distinct  tone, 

like  the  sound  of  a  bell.  "  If  you  love  me,  mother !" 

His  eyes  completed  the  sentence.  He  hastily  left  the  room, 
and  closed  the  door  behind  him, — ran  down-stairs,  past  the 
wondering  servant,  and  left  the  house. 

Camilla  had  sunk  back  upon  the  sofa ;  the  Count  stood  for 
awhile  motionless  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  regarding  her 
with  eager  anxiety.  Here  were  two  persons  who  had  loved 
each  other,  who  had  worked  each  other  much  woe,  and  who 
now  met  again,  after  more  than  thirty  years.  Ah,  what  a 
meeting  was  this !  Where  was  the  youthful  form  that  had 
lived  so  vividly  in  the  memory  of  each, — a  mark  for  affection, 
sorrow,  anger,  and  hate  ?  Here  were  but  the  ruins  of  past 
glory  and  beauty, — majestic  ruins,  'tis  true.  Had  they  but 
grown  old  together !  An  abyss  of  time,  that  might  have 
swallowed  up  the  space  of  an  entire  human  life,  was  to  be 
bridged  over  in  a  few  minutes.  It  was  better  thus ;  the  change 
was  too  great  to  allow  of  their  taking  up  their  lives  where  pas- 
sion and  anger  had  divided  them.  All  illusions  vanished,  and 
the  real  clamoured  for  its  rights.  That  dignified  matron  was 
not  the  girl,  glowing  with  love  and  youth,  whom  the  Count  had 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  345 

adored ;  the  spare,  proud  man,  with  gray  hair  and  furrowed 
brow,  was  not  the  faithless  lover  whom  Camilla  hated.  Some- 
thing like  amazement,  that  quickly  faded  into  melancholy, 
appeared  in  the  countenance  of  each,  to  see  the  other  grown 
so  strangely  altered. 

And  yet  there  were  the  same  features,  only  sharpened  in 
outline,  faint  in  color.  Camilla's  hair  and  eyes,  the  Count's 
erect  figure  and  military  bearing, — upon  these  time  had  had 
no  power.  Wherever  they  had  met,  each  would  have  instantly 
acknowledged,  "  Yes,  it  is  you  !" 

"  Camilla !"  the  Count  began,  at  last,  as  if  testing  by  his 
voice  her  willingness  to  hear  him,  and  then  waiting  for  a  reply. 

"  Count  Gleichenau !"  she  said,  in  as  low  a  tone,  and  yet 
trembling  to  hear  herself  speak,  "  I  was  not  prepared  for  a 
meeting " 

"  To  which  you  would  perhaps  never  have  agreed,"  he 
gently  interrupted  her,  "  if  you  had  been  consulted.  I  could 
not  trust  it  to  that  chance.  But  has  not  Xaver  intimated ?" 

"  My  son  has  indeed  spoken  of  you,"  Camilla  assented, 
to  prevent  his  saying  more  than  she  thought  she  could  bear  at 
the  moment.  "  My  son  is  convinced  that  he  has  found  a  friend 
in  you,  Count  Gleichenau,  and  I  can  but  hope  that  he  is  not 
mistaken." 

"  He  has  found  a  friend,"  he  replied,  advancing  a  step  and 
speaking  warmly, — "  a  father.  I  thank  him  that  he  does  not 
reject  me  as  a  father." 

A  pause  ensued.  The  Count  never  averted  his  gaze  from 
Camilla ;  and  she,  as  if  she  knew  it  and  feared  his  eyes,  cast 
down  her  own  upon  her  hands,  that  lay  folded  in  her  lap.  She 
might  have  been  praying  for  composure  and  submission,  and 
perhaps,  moved  by  Xaver's  entreaties,  she  was  praying,  and  the 
wayward  quiver  of  her  lips  was  due  to  the  pride  that  would 
not  yield  the  field. 

"  You  have  had  cause  for  anger,  Camilla,"  the  Count  began 
p* 


346  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

again,  "  and  I  may  not  judge  you.  I  cannot  even  complain  if 
you  reject  the  hand  held  out  to  you  in  pledge  of  peace,  for  you 
are  the  injured  one, — you  alone  have  aught  to  forgive.  I  can 
but  pray  you  to  remember  that  we  have  one  interest  in  com- 
mon, and  that  its  object  suffers  severely  from  our  disunion. — 
our  son " 

"  Our  son "  she  repeated,  in  a  faltering  voice.  "  Oh, 

that  is  my  bitterest  wrong, — that  for  so  many  years  he  has  not 
been  our  child!" 

"  I  will  not  exculpate  myself,"  the  Count  replied.  "  but  he 
has  forgiven  me,  and  in  all  else  I  have  sinned  against  you 
alone, — to  you  alone  I  owe  reparation.  You  were  ever  a  stern 
creditor, — no  repentance,  no  entreaty,  could  move  your  indul- 
gence. Well,  Camilla,  I  cannot  now  undo  what  is  done,  but 
an  accident  enables  me,  at  least,  to  avert  the  consequences  of 
my  injustice.  An  accident !  But  it  is  by  my  own  choice  that 
I  make  use  of  it.  Listen." 

He  seated  himself  at  the  table  before  her  sofa,  and  took  out 
the  papers  which  Xaver  had  given  him.  "  These  papers,"  he 
continued,  "  which  have  only  been  lent  to  me,  and  which  I 
now  place  in  your  hands,  afford  the  long-sought-for  proof  that 
your  father,  Carlo  Bellarota,  belonged  to  an  ancient  Florentine 
family  of  rank,  which  became  impoverished  in  revolutionary 
times." 

Camilla  sat  erect,  and  looked  timidly  and  inquiringly  from 
the  yellow  papers  on  the  table  to  the  Count's  face.  "  These 
papers,  Count  Gleichenau,  these  papers, — and  where  were  they 
discovered?" 

"  In  the  ancient  palazzo  of  the  Bellarotas,  in  Florence,  in  a 
secret  repository  behind  the  wainscot,  that  had  to  be  broken 
open  because  the  key  could  not  be  found.  The  key,  Camilla, 
is  in  your  possession." 

"Mine?" 

"You  have  your  grandfather's  missal, — we  have  often  enough 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  347 

turned  over  its  leaves  together.  Upon  the  cover  there  is  a 
medallion  head  of  Christ.  Have  you  the  book  here  ?" 

She  stretched  out  a  trembling  hand  across  the  arm  of  the 
sofa  to  a  little  table  whereon  lay  pictures,  portfolios,  and  some 
books  in  rich  bindings,  and,  taking  up  one  of  the  smallest  of 
the  latter,  she  looked  attentively  for  a  moment  at  the  head  of 
Christ,  still  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns  above  its  sorrowing 
brow,  and  then  hesitatingly  handed  it  to  the  Count,  as  if  to 
ask,  "  Why  do  you  want  the  book  ?" 

The  Count  examined  the  cover  closely,  felt  around  the 
edge  of  the  medallion,  then  suddenly  turned  and  pressed  it ;  it 
sprang  open,  and  a  key  of  curious  shape  fell  out  upon  the 
table.  "  Right !"  he  exclaimed.  "  The  description  is  correct. 
Who  could  suspect  that  the  guardian  of  such  important  facts 
was  concealed  here  ?  Too  well  concealed  !" 

Camilla  had  looked  on  in  surprise,  extending  a  warning 
hand  when  the  head  sprang  open,  as  if  she  feared  the  orna- 
mentation of  the  book  were  injured.  She  now  picked  up  the 
little  key,  looking  from  it  to  its  late  hiding-place,  and  then 

at  the  Count.  "  But  how  did  you  learn ?"  she  asked, 

with  an  expression  of  the  greatest  surprise. 

He  told  her  of  the  discovery  of  the  papers,  and  read  to  her 
some  of  the  most  important  of  them.  "  I  begged  Xaver  to  let 
me  have  them,"  he  concluded,  "  because  I  wished  to  hand 
them  to  you  myself.  How  priceless  in  value  they  would  have 
been  to  us  years  ago  !" 

"  Yes,  yes,  priceless  in  value !"  she  assented,  looking  over 
the  manuscripts.  "  And  now  they  are  most  important  to  me. 
They  prove,  beyond  a  doubt,  that  my  father  was  no  vain  boaster, 
no  liar, — that  he  really  bequeathed  to  me  an  ancient  name." 

"  I  never  doubted  it,"  the  Count  observed. 

"  And  yet —  -"  she  said,  and  paused.  Her  fine  eyes,  in 
which  tears,  a  tribute  to  her  father's  memory,  were  glistening, 
grew  dark  and  gloomy. 


348  THE   GREEN  GATE, 

"  My  own  belief,  however,  availed  nothing,"  the  Count  went 
on  to  say;  "proof  was  necessary.  The  absence  of  this  proof, 
Camilla,  was  not  the  only  reason  why  I  separated  myself  from 
wife  and  child  to  secure  to  my  impoverished  name  the  in- 
heritance of  a  brilliant  estate,  although  that  it  had  weight  with 
me  I  do  not  deny.  But  of  the  other  reasons  I  will  not  speak. 
I  cannot  defend  myself  without  accusing  you,  and  I  come  here 
now  only  as  a  suppliant.  If  the  cause  I  have  mentioned  be 
the  sole  or  the  decisive  reason  for  my  estrangement  from  you, 
cannot  your  own  pride  in  the  name  you  inherited  teach  you 
to  deal  leniently  with  me  ?  Still,  condemn  me  for  my  weak- 
ness, if  you  will;  I  cannot  take  advantage  of  yours.  Only 
believe  the  truth, — that  I  loved  my  wife  and  child  even  when 
I  consented  to  separation  from  them,  and  that  what  I  now  do 
is  in  obedience,  not  to  force,  but  to  the  joyful  promptings  of 
my  heart,  although  by  my  act  one  must  suffer  who  is  bound 
to  me  by  a  near  tie  of  blood." 

Camilla  listened  with  agitation.  "  I  do  not  understand  you, 
Count  Gleichenau,"  she  said.  "  What  do  you  propose  to  do, 
and  who  will  suffer  by  your  act  ?" 

"  You  understand  me  as  little  as  Xaver  understood  me,"  he 
replied.  "  Let  me  tell  you  how  important  these  documents 
are:  they  install  your  son — our  son,  Camilla — in  all  the  rights 
belonging  to  the  eldest  scion  of  the  name  of  Gleichenau." 

"  Count  Gleichenau,"  she 'exclaimed,  "my  son ?" 

"  Is  the  legal  heir  of  all  my  estates  of  Gleichenau,  since 
my  first  marriage  is  now  proved  to  have  been  a  noble  one. 
Even  if  I  would,  I  could  not  alter  it  now.  I  must  have  de- 
stroyed those  papers,  if  I  wished  to  secure  the  inheritance 
to  my  second  son.  Kunibert  knows  what  he  must  resign  in 
Xaver's  favour,  and  does  it  most  cheerfully." 

With  these  words  the  Count  arose.  Camilla  made  a  gesture 

as  if  to  detain  him.  "  I  cannot  comprehend — I  cannot 

Does  Xaver  know  ?"  she  asked,  trembling  with  emotion. 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  349 

"  He  does  not  know,  because  lie  has  too  little  regard  for 
worldly  wealth  to  .think  of  himself  in  this  matter.  He  must 
learn  his  good  fortune  from  the  mother  whom  he  loves  so 
fondly.  Tell  him — no,  he  does  not  need  the  assurance — 
that  his  father  rejoices  in  his  joy." 

Camilla  arose,  and  held  out  her  hand.  "  My  son's  rights 
are  established,"  she  said,  with  gentle  dignity ;  "  I  can  no 
longer  frown  upon  his  father." 

He  bowed  over  her  hand,  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips.  "  Ca- 
milla, car.  you  forgive  ?"  he  faltered. 

"  It  was  Xaver's  entreaty,"  she  replied,  "  and  now — it  is 
an  easy  task." 

"  Xaver's  entreaty,"  he  repeated,  warmly ;  "  yes,  we  should 
one  day  have  been  at  peace  through  him,  without  these  papers." 

"  Oh,  if  he  were  only  here !"  exclaimed  Camilla.  "  If  we 
could  but  tell  him " 

The  Count  pressed  the  hand  that  he  still  held  in  his  own. 
"  I  trust,"  he  said,  "  that  we  three  shall  often  be  together  in 
future.  The  spell  that  has  parted  us  is  broken, — we  belong 
together.  Will  you  exclude  the  fourth  in  our  new  alliance, — 
Kunibert?" 

"  Bring  him  to  me,"  she  said,  hastily.  "  Xaver's  brother 
shall  be  welcome,  although  I  am  not  his  mother." 

The  Count  took  his  leave.  "  I  must  not  beg  for  more  for 
myself  to-day,"  he  said.  "  How  much  more  calm  and  glad  a 
heart  I  carry  hence  than  I  brought  hither !  But  I  shall  come 
and  go  now  every  day,  and  every  day  will,  I  trust,  bring  me 
fresh  hope  for  the  future." 

Camilla  made  no  reply ;  but  a  gentle  light  in  her  eyes  bade 
him  take  courage. 

"  Can  this  be  I?"  she  asked  herself,  when  she  was  left  alone. 


30 


350  THE  GREEN  GATE. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

AT  an  early  hour  the  next  morning  Xaver  presented  him- 
self at  his  father's. 

It  was  a  most  unusual  time  for  a  visit  from  him ;  but  the 
Count  attributed  it  to  a  previous  interview  with  Camilla,  and 
went  to  meet  him/  with  a  joyful  face  and  open  arms. 

The  Professor  submitted  to  his  cordiality,  but  hardly  re- 
turned it,  and  there  was  so  gloomy  a  frown  upon  his  brow 
that  his  father  feared  some  unforeseen  misfortune  had  occurred. 
"  Have  you  had  bad  news  from  Moritz  Amberger  ?"  he  asked, 
anxiously. 

Xaver  replied,  No, — that  Moritz  had  written  that  he  had 
heard  from  Kostling's  physician  that  the  old  man  was  ill,  too 
ill  to  receive  any  one,  and  that  therefore  all  further  attempts  to 
induce  him  to  alter  his  decision  were  useless. 

"That  is  to  be  regretted,"  said  the  Count;  "but  it  does  not 
explain  to  me  your  present  mood.  I  thought  you  would  be 
so  light-hearted ;  or  do  you  not  know  that  my  interview  with 
Camilla  yesterday  paved  the  way  for  the  happiest  hopes  for 
the  future  ?" 

"  I  know  it,"  Xaver  replied.  "  I  saw  my  mother  last  eveningj 
and  this  morning  again.  I  have  just  come  from  her.  Cer- 
tainly no  one  would  more  heartily  rejoice  at  the  happy  issue 
of  your  interview  than  I,  if " 

"If  what?" 

"  If  a  most  annoying  piece  of  intelligence  had  not  spoiled 
my  pleasure." 

"What  intelligence,  Xaver?" 

"  I  have  come  to  speak  of  it  to  you,  father,  before  you  take 
any  measures  which  it  might  cause  us  all  great  inconvenience 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  351 

to  annul.  If  you  had  told  me  what  you  meant,  to  do  with 
those  papers  that  have  been  found  in  Florence " 

"  Oh,  is  that  it?"  exclaimed  the  Count. 

"  I  was  perfectly  blind,"  Xaver  continued,  "  or  it  never  would 
have  occurred  to  me  to  show  those  papers  to  you,  to  intrust 
them  to  you  to  give  to  my  mother.  If  you  could  believe  that 
I  was  actuated  by  a  single  thought  of  self-interest " 

"  Make  yourself  quite  easy  on  that  score,"  the  Count  inter- 
rupted him,  laying  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder.  "  I  assure 
you  you  have  nothing  of  that  sort  to  fear.  I  saw  immediately 
that  you  had  no  suspicion  of  the  importance  of  those  papers  to 
yourself,  and  I  confess  I  saw  it  gladly.  I  should  have  thought 
you  perfectly  right  had  you  come  to  me  with  the  papers  and 
demanded  your  rights ;  but  I  prized  most  highly,  as  a  proof 
of  your  unworldliness,  your  want  of  all  comprehension  of  their 
importance  to  yourself,  and  it  enabled  me  to  perform  a  duty  as 
if  I  were  bestowing  a  gift." 

Xaver's  face  cleared  up  a  little.  "  I  thank  you,"  he  said ; 
"  but  we  have  not  done  yet.  You  seem  to  be  sure  that  you 
have  only  to  give  for  me  to  take.  No,  father.  I  have  been 
used,  from  my  early  youth,  to  depend  upon  my  own  resources, 
and  I  do  not  prize  what  I  do  not  derive  from  them.  Even  my 
Freiherrship,  to  which  I  was  born,  is  of  little  value  in  my  eyes, 
and  would  be  a  great  bore  to  me  were  I  obliged  to  take  it 
into  the  lecture-room  with  me.  A  man  must  grow  up  with 
such  a  title  not  to  be  oppressed  by  it.  And  now  you  would 
have  me  alter  my  whole  plan  of  existence  in  consequence  of  a 
mere  accident,  while  others  whom  I  love  are  losers  by  it.  It 
is  asking  too  much,  father.  Because  a  young  man  called 
Philip  Amberger  entertains  a  silly  enthusiasm  for  old  curiosi- 
ties, and  carries  it  so  far  that  he  must  tear  down  and  transport 
over  a  hundred  miles,  to  his  own  home,  the  entire  wainscot 
of  a  room,  and  because,  in  doing  so,  a  secret  cupboard  is  dis- 
covered, where  documents  have  been  hidden,  and  might  have 


352  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

remained  hidden  to  the  end  of  time,  if  they  had  not  heen  fer- 
reted out  by  that  mole,  am  I  suddenly  to  be  transformed  into 
another  than  the  man  that  my  education  and  inclination  have 
made  me,  and  be  transplanted  like  a  tree  or  a  flower  ?  No ! 
Chance  is  an  idol  that  I  will  not  serve,  and,  so  long  as  I  am 
free,  will  not  worship." 

"  Chance !"  the  Count  repeated,  shaking  his  head.  "  Chance ! 
Do  you  not  believe  in  a  Providence  that  shapes  our  ends,  and 
brings  about,  all  in  good  time,  results  scarcely  to  have  been 
hoped  for,  and  never  foreseen  ?" 

Xaver  smiled.  "I  will  not  make  Providence  responsible 
for  the  short-sighted  acts  of  mortals.  What  is  neither  reason- 
able nor  necessary  I  prefer  to  attribute  to  chance,  and  neither 
reason  nor  necessity  has  anything  to  do  with  the  finding  of 
those  papers." 

"  Then  all  laws  of  inheritance  rest  upon  very  insecure  foun- 
dations," the  Count  interposed. 

"  You  cannot  force  my  privileges  upon  me,"  Xaver  main- 
tained;  "least  of  all  such  entirely  unjust  privileges.  I  have 
induced  my  mother  to  return  those  papers  to  me, — they  really 
are  not  safe  in  her  hands, — and  I  shall  take  good  care  that  no 
one,  even  of  those  most  dear  to  me,  shall  prevail  upon  me  to 
found  any  claim  upon  them  whatsoever." 

The  Count  looked  grave.  "  This  is  like  you,  as  I  have 
learned  to  know  you,"  he  said,  after  a  pause ;  "  but  can  you 
expect  that  Kunibert  will  be  behind  you  in  magnanimity? 
He  has  already  been  informed  by  me  that  yours  is  the  elder 
and  the  better  right.  Do  you  suppose  that  he  will  consent  to 
take  advantage  of  your  refusal  to  claim  it  ?" 

"  He  must !"  Xaver  replied.  "  There  is  no  way  of  forcing 
me  to  produce  the  proof  of  my  capacity  to  inherit  GHeichenau ; 
his  mere  affirmation  has  no  legal  weight.  He  might  resign 
also,  but  only  in  favour  of  some  other  branch  of  the  family. 
That  would  be  folly.  He  must  not  forget  that,  to  secure  these 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  353 

estates  to  his  family,  his  father  sacrificed,  for  many  years,  the 
repose  of  his  conscience,  and  embittered  his  existence,  while 
broken  hearts " 

He  paused,  and  the  Count  turned  away. 

"  And  it  stands  to  reason,  is  not  his  right  the  elder  and  the 
better?"  Xaver  continued,  more  earnestly.  "  He  was  bred  to 
it  from  the  cradle ;  he  has  been  conscious  of  it  as  long  as  he 
can  remember  thinking  and  feeling ;  it  is  part  of  his  life.  If 
he  is  deprived  of  what  is  thus  native  to  him,  he  will  languish 
like  a  plant  deprived  of  air.  No ;  I  will  not  rob  him !" 

"  Magnanimous  as  ever,"  the  Count  rejoined ;  "  but  if 
Kunibert  be  what  I  think  him " 

"  Let  me  speak  with  him,"  Xaver  begged.  "  He  is  reasonable, 
and  will  not  refuse  to  listen  to  a  sensible  view  of  the  matter. 
I  have  another  reason  for  my  conduct ;  you  shall  admit  that  it- 
is  self-interested ;  it  has  had  some  weight  with  my  mother.  I 
love  Katrine  Amberger,  and  desire  to  make  her  my  own  as 
speedily  as  possible.  She  gave  her  heart  to  Professor  Schon- 
rade,  and  did  not  refuse  to  love  the  Freiherr  von  Honeburg, 
since  her  mother  thought  him  a  more  suitable  match.  But 
the  Majoratsherr  Count  von  Gleichenau  would  be  no  mate 
for  her,  the  daughter  of  a  merchant,  whose  ancestors  were  of 
patrician  but  never  of  noble  rank.  My  Katrine  would  be  in 
constant  dread  of  sharing  my  mother's  fate.  She  could  not 
enjoy  her  happiness  for  a  single  day." 

The  Count  bit  his  lip,  and  looked  down.  "  I  never  thought 
of  that,"  he  said,  after  awhile. 

"  But  I  have  !"  Xaver  exclaimed.  "  As  I  feel  to-day,  the 
entire  estates  of  Gleichenau  do  not  weigh  a  feather  against 
Katrine's  love." 

"  You  are  not  like  your  father,"  the  Count  observed,  with  a 
smile  ;  "  you  would  always  feel  so." 

"  '  Lead  us  not  into  temptation,' "  the  Professor  said,  seri- 
ously. "  No,  no,  we  can  none  of  us  be  sure  of  ourselves. 

30* 


354  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Could  you  have  distrusted  yourself  when  your  whole  heart  was 
filled  with  the  girl  whom  you  loved  ?  Time  changes  all  that 
is  mortal.  It  is  well  to  think  and  hope  the  best  of  ourselves; 
but  let  us,  at  least,  with  the  innocence  of  the  dove,  not  forget 
so  much  of  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent  as  shall  teach  us  to  avoid 
snares  and  pitfalls.^  And  then,  in  sober  earnest,  for  whose 
henefit  should  I  force  all  my  inclinations?  I  myself  have 
more  than  enough  for  my  wants,  and  my  children  could  never 
inherit  Gleichenau.  Are  the  years  of  sorrow  endured  by  my 
mother  and  yourself  to  bear,  as  their  bitter  fruit,  only  one 
more  disappointed  life  ?  Do  not  ask  me  to  support  this 
burden,  Let  us  have  peace  among  ourselves  at  last ;  it  can 
only  be  secured  by  ignoring  these  miserable  papers." 

The  Count  wrung  his  son's  hand,  and,  without  speaking,  led 
him  into  Kunibert's  room.  "He  is  right,"  was  all  he  said,  as 
he  left  the  brothers  alone. 

Of  course,  since  Kunibert  was  sixteen,  frank,  generous,  and 
excessively  fond  of  Xaver,  a  very  stormy  scene  ensued.  There 
were  asseverations,  entreaties,  and  even  tears  upon  his  part ;  but 
Xaver  maintained  his  composure,  let  the  boy  rave  till  he  was 
tired,  and  came  off  conqueror  at  last,  by  consenting  to  receive, 
for  a  time  at  least,  a  certain  portion  of  the  revenue  of  the 
Gleichenau  estates.  The  Count,  who  was  called  in  as  a  witness 
to  this  final  arrangement,  declared,  "  If  Camilla  is  only  content, 
my  happiness  is  now  complete." 

Camilla's  pride  had  found  it  difficult  to  surrender  the  new- 
found documents  to  her  son,  with  the  distinct  understanding 
that,  in  his  possession,  they  were  to  be  again  consigned  to 
obscurity.  Her  reconciliation  with  the  Count  had  been  effected 
through  her  joy  at  their  discovery,  and  she  was  now  called  to 
rest  content  with  being  the  mother  of  a  son  who  might  assume 
all  his  inheritance  if  he  only  would.  She  loved  him  too  ten- 
derly to  acquiesce  readily,  and  there  was  still  too  much  irrita- 
tion in  her  heart  against  the  Count  not  to  grudge  to  his  son  by 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  355 

his  second  marriage  that  which  was  not  lawfully  his.  But 
Xaver  was  so  resolute  that  she  felt  it  would  be  useless  to 
rebel ;  she  must  yield  with  the  best  grace  that  she  could, 
and  since  she  had  braved  so  many  sorrows  in  life  with  an  un- 
daunted front,  it  was  hardly  worth  while  to  succumb  now. 

She  did  not  at  first  attach  as  much  importance  as  Xaver 
did  to  his  view  of  Katrine's  future.  It  is  a  weakness  of 
human  nature,  from  which  she  was  not  free,  to  forget  to 
measure  the  sorrow  of  others  by  one's  own  in  like  circum- 
stances, and  to  credit  them  with  an  immense  power  of  en- 
durance and  self-sacrifice.  There  had  been  a  discussion, 
almost  amounting  to  a  dispute,  between  mother  and  son. 
Xaver  had  not  hesitated  to  say  all  that  he  could  to  make  her 
look  at  the  case  from  his  point  of  view,  and  her  passionate 
nature  had  been  severely  tried.  When  Xaver  left  her,  peace 
had  been  but  superficially  restored  between  them ;  but  when  he 
came  again  in  the  evening,  she  had  had  full  time  to  reflect  and 
consider,  and  the  result  was  entire  acquiescence  in  her  son's 
views. 

Of  course  this  was  accompanied  by  a  radical  change  of  mood. 
As  a  violent  storm  passes  and  leaves  the  skies  serene  and  blue, 
so  all  that  was  fiery  in  her  nature  seemed  to  have  exhausted 
itself,  and  to  have  given  place  to  gentleness  and  benignity. 
Xaver  found  her  sitting  at  her  piano,  singing  one  of  her 
favourite  songs,  with  true  artistic  enjoyment  of  the  music. 
He  stood  still  at  the  door,  which  he  had  opened  softly,  and 
applauded  when  the  song  was  ended.  He  saw  how  it  was 
with  her,  and  it  only  needed  the  gentlest  touch  upon  his  part 
to  restore  between  them  the  old  cheerful  confidence.  As  a 
reward,  and  to  dispose  her  favourably  towards  Kunibert,  he 
told  her  of  their  interview  of  the  morning,  and  this  had  the 
happiest  effect. 

Thus  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the  Count  and  his  son 
from  paying  Camilla  a  visit  on  the  following  day.  All  tacitly 


356  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

agreed  to  let  bygones  be  bygones,  and  to  accord  the  present 
its  entire  rights.  The  Count  treated  Camilla  with  the  most 
respectful  attention,  refraining,  although  his  former  feeling  for 
her  had  returned  in  full  force,  from  any  confidential  expres- 
sions that  might  seem  to  re-establish  their  former  relations, — 
judging  it  best  that  her  trust  in  him  should  have  time  for 
growth,  and  that  sho  in  the  mean  while  should  give  the  tone 
to  their  intercourse.  Kunibert  at  first  approached  her  shyly, 
fearing  lest  he  should  be  in  the  way,  but,  as  Camilla  received 
him  kindly  and  cordially,  he  soon  became  all  admiration  and 
devotion.  It  seemed  as  if  she  wished,  through  him,  to  testify 
to  the  Count  that  all  anger  had  faded  from  her  heart,  and 
that  the  boy  desired  to  prove  to  his  father  his  filial  love  and 
reverence  by  his  attentive  consideration  for  her.  As  Xaver 
and  Kunibert  were  upon  thoroughly  fraternal  terms,  it  could 
not  but  be  that  their  parents  found  themselves  united  in  their 
children.  The  greater  part  of  the  day  they  spent  together. 

Thus  everything  would  have  been  all  that  could  be  de- 
sired, had  not  Amberger's  affairs  assumed  a  menacing  aspect. 
Moritz's  letters  grew  gloomier  every  day.  Feinberg,  he  in- 
formed the  Professor,  was  exhausting  every  means  in  his  power 
to  ruin  him, — stirring  up  his  friends  among  the  civil  officers 
to  make  complaint  because,  in  negotiating  the  purchase  of  the 
tile-kiln  and  the  meadow  on  the  other  side  of  the  bridge,  the 
purpose  for  which  they  were  bought,  i.e.,  the  erection  of  a 
railway-depot,  had  not  been  made  public.  The  former  owners 
of  the  property  on  the  streets  leading  to  the  green  gate 
demanded  immense  securities  for  their  payment,  and  the 
mortgage-holders  desired  to  foreclose  shortly.  At  Feinberg's 
instigation,  a  society  was  in  process  of  formation  for  "the 
preservation  of  historically  famous  structures  of  the  ancient 
Hanseatic  town,"  and  old  Dr.  Sperling,  the  Recorder, — of  course 
without  any  sinister  design, — was  doing  his  best  to  induce  every 
one  to  become  a  member  of  it.  There  was  talk  of  having;  the 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  357 

green  gate  restored  after  a  drawing  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
A  letter  to  Kostling,  signed  by  many  of  the  towns-folk,  had 
been  written,  thanking  him  for  his  "  loyalty  to  his  native  town 
in  preserving  untouched  by  selfish  rapacity  one  of  her  most 
valued  memorials,"  and,  in  conclusion,  entreating  him  to  resist 
with  firmness  all  future  efforts  to  deprive  their  beloved  .town 
of  any  of  its  antiquarian  glory.  Furthermore,  there  was  talk 
of  a  petition  to  the  government  to  forbid,  in  the  interest  of  the 
public  weal,  any  destruction  of  the  green  gate,  which  petition 
would  doubtless  find  in  other  quarters  of  the  town  many 
signers,  who  feared  that  the  new  railway-depot  might  interfere 
with  their  trade.  The  green  gate,  but  lately  considered  a  stum- 
bling-block in  the  way  of  traffic,  had  suddenly  become  a  celeb- 
rity, the  loss  of  which  would  be  very  detrimental  to  the  town. 
Thus  obstacles  upon  obstacles  were  heaped  in  his  path,  and  he 
should  be  unable  to  maintain  his  position  if  something  decisive 
did  not  shortly  occur  in  his  favour. 

In  his  last  letter  Moritz  mentioned  a  new  cause  of  alarm. 
Old  Kostling  was  suffering  from  a  disease  of  the  heart,  which 
might  terminate  his  life  at  any  moment.  He  was  apparently 
aware  of  this,  and  had  deposited  his  will  with  the  authorities. 
Very  probably  he  had  decided  the  fate  of  the  green  gate  in 
this  document,  and  if,  as  seemed  likely,  the  obstinate  old  man 
had  bequeathed  to  the  town  a  considerable  sum  for  the  future 
preservation  of  the  old  structure,  there  was  an  end  to  all 
their  hopes. 

Schbnrade  thought  this  fear  by  no  means  unreasonable,  but 
he  could  not  confer  at  present  with  his  committee,  since  Coun- 
cillor Wiesel  had  at  last  yielded  to  his  wife's  entreaties  and 
departed  for  Wiesbaden,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Fairfax  and  Lilli. 
A  letter  written  to  Mr.  Fairfax  was  answered  most  cautiously, 
the  Englishman  assuring  him  of  his  steadfast  friendship,  "  if 
only  for  Lilli's  sake, — she  would  allow  no  disloyalty,"  but 
proposing  that  the  whole  affair  should  be  postponed  until  the 


358  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

fall,  when  they  might  try  what  could  be  done  by  legal  coer- 
cion. Legal  coercion !  Just  what  the  Professor  wished  to 
avoid.  The  Councillor's  wife  must  have  benefited  by  the  use 
of  the  Wiesbaden  waters,  since  she  sent  her  regards  to  the 
Freiherr  von  Honeburg,  and  a  remonstrance  for  not  "dis- 
covering himself  sooner  to  his  best  friends." 

Thus,  as  matters  stood,  the  Professor  might  have  gone  to 
Florence  to  the  wedding,  and  even  have  remained  there  several 
weeks,  but,  great  as  was  his  desire  to  see  Katrine,  he  was  pos- 
sessed by  a  spirit  of  unrest  quite  foreign  to  his  nature,  that 
prevented  him  from  coming  to  any  decision  upon  this  point. 
He  could  not  determine  to  refuse  the  invitation,  but  painted 
in  the  warmest  words  his  longing  to  be  once  more  with  her 
whom  he  so  loved;  still,  he  hesitated  to  consent  to  go,  and 
even  asked  whether  the  marriage  might  not  be  postponed. 
How  the  position  of  affairs  might  change  within  a  week  or 
fourteen  days  he  could  not  tell,  but,  as  is  often  the  case  with 
very  resolute  natures,  after  he  had  honestly  done  his  best  he 
could  not  believe  in  failure,  but  looked  for  something  "  to  turn 
up"  that  should  justify  his  confidence. 

Had  this  "  something"  happened,  when  one  morning  he 
received  a  letter,  addressed  in  a  strange  handwriting,  demand- 
ing his  sympathy,  from  a  quarter  whence  alone  he  could  now 
hope  for  succour  ?  Dr.  Kreutzer,  a  physician,  wrote  that  he 
felt  it  his  duty  to  acquaint  him  with  the  fact  that  he  was 
attending  Herr  Kostling,  but  that  he  had  very  little  hope  of 
his  recovery  from  his  present  attack  of  heart-disease,  since 
the  patient  persisted  in  aggravating  his  symptoms  by  constant 
agitation  of  mind.  Spasms  and  fever  were  the  consequence ; 
he  raved  for  hours  at  a  time,  and,  although  in  his  delirium  it 
was  easy  to  see  what  was  occupying  his  mind,  there  seemed 
but  little  connection  in  his  thoughts.  He  talked  continually 
of  a  sister  named  Camilla,  whom  he  had  lost,  described  most 
vividly  the  contests  between  his  ancestors  and  the  Freiherw 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  359 

von  Honeburg,  asserting,  however,  that  all  enmity  should  be 
buried  in  his  grave,  and  appealing,  when  he  was  questioned 
at  all,  to  the  testimony  of  Professor  Schbnfade,  who  knew  all 
he  had  suffered.  He  had  so  much  still  to  say  to  him,  but  he 
could  not  send  for  him  for  fear  of  troubling  his  mother ;  and 
then  he  would  repeat  perpetually  the  words  "  his  mother, — 
his  mother,"  more  and  more  softly,  until  he  fell  asleep.  "  I 
learn,"  the  physician  concluded,  "  that  you,  my  dear  sir,  paid 
him  a  visit  and  had  a  long  conversation  with  him  just  before 
his  present  seizure.  His  old  housekeeper  declares  that  from 
that  time  he  never  left  his  room.  Her  suspicion  that  your 
visit  was  the  cause  of  his  illness  is  entirely  unfounded,  since  it 
is  merely  the  development  of  a  disease  from  which  he  has  suf- 
fered for  many  years,  and  which  now  manifests  itself  in  spite 
of  the  determination  with  which  he  has  struggled  against  it. 
At  the  same  time,  your  interview  with  him,  that  must  Jiave 
been  occupied,  in  spite  of  what  Herr  Amberger  says,  with  the 
discussion  of  other  subjects  besides  the  green  gate,  has  much  to 
do  with  his  mental  agitation ;  and,  at  all  events,  you  seem  to  be 
the  only  one  cognizant  of  what  occasions  his  distress  of  mind, 
and  you  are  perhaps  possessed  of  the  power  to  relieve  it.  Two 
days  ago  I  found  him,  to  my  great  surprise,  out  of  bed  and 
seated  at  his  writing-table.  He  was,  he  said,  writing  his  will, 
that  his  peace  with  God  and  man  might  be  concluded.  I  was 
commissioned  to  see  it  deposited  with  the  suitable  legal  au- 
thorities. Since  then  he  has  been  much  calmer,  with  a  less 
frequent  recurrence  of  the  spasms  ;  but  his  strength  is  failing, 
and  I  fear  that  he  will  not  live  long.  In  my  opinion,  a  visit 
from  you  would  not  be  attended  with  the  slightest  danger  to 
my  patient,  but  might,  on  the  contrary,  tend  to  alleviate  his 
sufferings.  At  all  events,  since  he  is  evidently  very  desirous 
of  seeing  you,  I  have  judged  it  best  to  write  to  you,  leaving  it 
to  yourself  to  act  as  you  shall  think  best  in  the  case. 
"  Your  obedient  servant,  etc." 


360  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

Xaver  hastened  with  this  letter  to  his  mother,  who  was 
greatly  affected  by  its  contents,  and  strongly  approved  his  de- 
termination to  depart  by  the  next  train,  that  he  might  be  with 
the  old  man  in  his  last  moments.  She  trembled  with  emotion, 
and  could  not  restrain  her  tears.  "  Make  haste!  make  haste  !" 
she  said,  as  if  he  could  hurry  the  moment  of  leaving.  "  I  will 
tell  your  father.  Oh,  how  guilty  are  we  if  he  dies  with  no 
word  to  us  of  forgiveness !" 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

WHEN,  two  hours  afterwards,  Xaver  was  standing  upon  the 
railway  platform,  Camilla  suddenly  appeared.  He  thought 
she  had  some  farewell  message  to  give  him,  and  had  brought 
it  herself,  but,  to  his  no  small  surprise,  she  announced  her  inten- 
tion of  accompanying  him.  Her  luggage  was  already  attended 
to.  "  For  days,"  she  said,  "  I  have  been  contemplating  a  visit 
to  the  house  where,  as  a  friendless  orphan,  I  was  so  kindly 
received,  and  upon  which  I  brought  such  sorrow.  Whe:a  you 
first  told  me  of  Kostling,  I  longed  to  hasten  to  him  and  entreat 
his  forgiveness,  but  I  was  withheld  by  the  thought  that  he 
might  believe  me  to  be  actuated  by  a  desire  to  promote  your 
interests.  Perhaps  even  now  he  may  think  me  prompted  by 
selfish  aims,  but  I  cannot  delay  any  longer ;  his  hours  seem 
numbered,  and  I  must  not  lose  the  few  that  remain.  It 
would  be  a  life-long  regret  to  me  not  to  see  him  again." 

Xaver  pressed  her  hand  warmly.  "  It  is  like  your  own 
dear  self,  mother,"  he  replied.  "  Even  if  the  physician  should 
forbid  you  to  see  him,  you  will  never  repent  doing  all  that  you 
can  to  retrieve  the  past.  Yes,  we  will  go  together." 


THE   GREEN   GATE.  361 

The  train  was  not  very  fall,  and  mother  and  son  had  a 
carriage  to  themselves.  Their  talk  was  affectionate  and  confi- 
dential ;  there  were  no  longer  subjects  that  must  be  avoided 
between  them,  and  if  their  discussion  still  gave  pain,  the  pain 
was  wholesome,  and  Camilla  did  not  spare  herself. 

The  Professor  established  his  mother  at  the  hotel,  and  then 
went  to  confer  with  the  physician,  to  whom  he  explained  the 
relations  existing  between  his  patient  and  the  strangers.  Dr. 
Kreutzer,  though  he  hoped  for  a  good  result  from  their  visit, 
thought  some  preparation  of  his  patient  was  necessary  to  pre- 
vent a  shock,  and  they  drove  together  to  the  Kostling  house, 
postponing  until  afterwards  any  thought  of  introducing  Camilla 
to  the  sick-room. 

Schonrade  remained  in  the  anteroom  while  the  physician 
entered  the  sick  man's  chamber. 

After  a  few  minutes  he  returned,  saying,  "  I  was  right ;  you 
are  welcome.  I  asked  him  frankly  whether  he  wished  to  see 
you,  and  there  was  no  doubt  of  his  ready  assent.  Go  in  im- 
mediately, that  he  may  not  become  agitated  in  waiting.  I 
will  pay  another  visit,  and  then  return  to  see  how  he  is."  He 
ushered  him  into  the  room,  and  left  him. 

The  two  cats  were  lying  on  the  window-sill,  purring  loudly ; 
at  the  writing-table  sat  a  Sister  of  Mercy,  the  nurse,  engaged 
with  some  sewing.  The  bed  had  been  placed  with  the  head 
against  the  wall,  so  that  it  could  be  approached  from  three 
sides.  The  old  man  lying  in  it  raised  his  head  a  little,  and 
stretched  out  his  hand  towards  his  visitor.  "  You  are  kind  to 
come,"  he  said, — "to  come  on  my  account,  the  doctor  tells  me. 
I  should  not  have  dared  to  ask  it." 

The  Professor  sat  down  at  his  bedside.  "  I  could  not  wait," 
he  said,  "  until  you  were  recovered,  to  express  my  hope  that 
there  is  no  serious  danger " 

The  sick  man  smiled  sadly.  "  There  is  no  need  to  conceal 
my  condition  from  me,"  he  said  ;  "  I  am  prepared  for  every- 
Q  81 


362  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

thing,  and,  now  that  I  see  you  once  more,  I  have  hardly  a  wish 
ungratified." 

The  Professor  advised  him  not  to  look  forward  to  a  fatal 
termination  of  his  present  attack.  Painful  as  the  disease  of 
the  heart  was  from  which  he  suffered,  the  subjects  of  it  fre- 
quently lived  to  extreme  old  age. 

"  Could  I  think  that  desirable  ?"  Kostling  gently  replied. 
"  Do  not  grudge  me  death,  young  friend.  You  know  that  I 
have  lived  too  long  already,  and  am  a  burden  to  myself  and 
others.  Do  not  gainsay  me.  A  man  who  has  lived  as  lonely 
a  life  as  mine  must  attain  self-comprehension  at  last,  or  he  is 
an  incorrigible  fool.  For  years  I  have  lived  only  because  I 
could  not  die.  Is  the  continuance  of  such  an  aimless  exist- 
ence to  be  desired?" 

"  But  could  it  not  be  so  filled,"  Schonrade  asked,  "  as  to  give 
it  value  in  your  eyes  ?" 

The  old  man  shook  his  gray  head.  "  How  could  that  be  ? 
There  are  men,  unfortunately,  so  governed  by  a  single  idea 
that  upon  it  the  whole  interest  of  existence  depends.  How 
many  have  gone  through  an  experience  like  to  mine,  and  yet 
in  time  their  sorrow  has  passed  away,  and  they  have  addressed 
themselves  anew  to  the  building  up  of  their  future.  He  who 
cannot  forget  what  is  irretrievably  lost,  is  lost  himself, — a  man 
to  whom  the  whole  world  is  but  a  reflection  of  his  own  diseased 
mind.  Such  men  willingly  lay  the  weight  of  their  woes  upon 
those  in  health  about  them;  as  they  cannot  get  away  from 
themselves,  they  seek  to  draw  others  into  their  companionship, 
to  infect  them  with  their  disease.  Why,  at  our  first  meeting, 
did  I  relate  to  you  the  whole  history  of  my  sorrow, — to  you, 
the  son  of  the  woman  whom  it  was  my  misfortune  to  love, 
and  who  herself  loved  so  unhappily  ?  Believe  me,  I  have  re- 
proached myself  bitterly  for  so  doing.  How  hateful  I  must 
have  seemed  to  you !  And  yet  at  that  very  time  I  felt  my 
heart  drawn  towards  you, — Camilla's  sOn  !  I  had  long  since 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  363 

forgiven  her,  and  it  was  against  myself  that  I  raged  when  I 
thus  tore  open  the  old  wounds.  There  are  strange  contradic- 
tions in  us,  that  no  reason  can  explain,  and  a  sick  heart " 

His  face  worked  painfully,  and  he  clasped  Xaver's  hand  to 
his  breast.  Xaver  returned  its  pressure  most  warmly.  "  You 
do  yourself  injustice,"  he  said.  "  I  should  have  misjudged 
you  if  you  had  not  spoken,  and  if  you  spoke  at  all  you  must 
have  said  what  you  did." 

"No,  no!"  Kostling  replied,  with  a  grateful  look;  "I  lost 
then  all  the  self-control  I  had  so  hardly  learned ;  and  so  I 
could  not  bear  to  die  without  seeing  you  once  more.  Now  I 
— can  die." 

"  And  I  may  tell  my  mother  that  you  forgive  her?"  asked 
Schbnrade. 

"  Forgive !"  the  sick  man  exclaimed,  raising  his  voice ;  "  what 
have  I  to  forgive  ?  That  she  could  not  love  me  as  I  loved  her? 
It  is  true  there  was  a  tune  when  it  angered  me,  but  if  you 
could  think  that  all  anger  against  her  had  not  long  since  faded 
away,  it  must  have  been  because  my  vivid  memory  of  her  gave 
to  my  words  a  cutting  distinctness.  No,  tell  her  that  those 
years  of  my  youth  brightened  by  her  sisterly  love  have  been 
a  precious  gift  to  me,  a  gift  that  I  would  not  resign  even  if,  in 
exchange,  the  sorrow  that  succeeded  them  could  be  blotted 
out ;  that  they  have  been  the  main  stay  of  my  solitary  life,  and 
that  I  should  most  surely  think  of  her  in  my  last  hour  with 
the  same  affection,  even  although  I  knew  her  happy  in  another's 
love." 

Xaver's  eyes  were  moist.  "  I  thank  you,"  he  said.  "  My 
mother  will  find  the  comfort  that  she  needs  in  your  magna- 
nimity. You  do  not  know  how  bitterly  she  reproaches  herself, 
how  grieved  she  is  by  your  illness,  how  gladly  she  would  hear 
from  your  own  lips  that  you  have  forgiven  the  ingratitude  that 
she  has  so  sincerely  repented.  If  she  were  not  afraid " 

He  paused.     The  sick  man  had  closed  his  eyes,  and  was 


364  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

gasping  for  breath ;  his  hand  had  grown  cold,  and  seemed 
scarcely  able  to  press  that  of  the  Professor,  which  lay  in  it. 
Evidently  great  caution  was  necessary  to  prevent  a  return  of 
the  spasms.  Xaver  stood  motionless  by  the  bed  for  a  long 
while,  until  the  invalid's  breath  came  more  and  more  gently, 
and  he  fell  asleep. 

Dr.  Kreutzer  was  quite  content  with  the  Professor's  report, 
and  afterwards  with  the  condition  of  his  patient.  "  He  is 
apparently  much  relieved,"  he  said,  "  and  will  no  longer  dwell 
upon  what  has  been  troubling  him.  His  life  must  needs  be 
short  now ;  all  that  we  can  do  is  to  make  his  few  remaining 
days  as  comfortable  and  happy  as  possible.  Let  me  arrange 
a  plan."  He  told  the  sick  man  that  he  had  engaged  another 
nurse  for  him,  and  that  he  must  be  prepared  for  the  sight  of 
a  new  face. 

"  Will  not  my  visitor  of  to-day  remain  beneath  my  roof?" 
asked  Kostling,  and  fell  asleep,  with  a  happy  smile,  when  he 
learned  that  it  should  be  so. 

The  next  morning  Camilla  sat  at  the  writing-table,  in  the 
Sister  of  Mercy's  accustomed  place,  and  anxiously  awaited  the 
old  man's  awakening.  By  the  advice  of  the  physician,  she 
had  some  sewing  in  her  hands,  and  a  book  lay  open  upon  the 
table  before  her,  that  she  might  seem  to  be  occupied  as  was 
usual  with  the  attendant.  The  two  cats  were  lying  on  the 
floor  at  her  feet.  The  watch  above  the  head  of  the  bed  ticked 
audibly. 

At  length  Kostling  coughed  slightly,  turned  his  face  to- 
wards the  window,  and  opened  his  eyes.  The  strange  nurse 
did  not  startle  him ;  and  yet  there  must  have  been  something 
about  her  that  attracted  his  attention,  for  he  lay  for  awhile 
gazing  fixedly  at  her.  Seen  from  his  bed,  the  beautiful  pro- 
file was  sharply  defined  against  the  light  background  of  the 
window ;  and  there  was  a  bluish  lustre  upon  the  waving  hair. 
The  picture  was  one  to  demand  admiration,  but  it  stirred 


THE  GREEN  GATE.  365 

strange  memories, — it  was  unknown  and  yet  familiar.  He 
gazed  at  it,  closed  his  eyes  to  see  if  he  were  awake,  and 
then  looked  again.  His  face  glowed  with  pleasure ;  he  breathed 
more  quickly ;  his  hand  sought  his  heart.  Did  he  know 
whom  he  saw  before  him  ?  did  he  still  doubt?  could  he  venture 
to  hope  ?  was  there  no  fear  of  dispelling  a  delightful  dream  ? 
or  did  he  feel  that  he  owed  it  to  himself  and  to  her  to  main- 
tain his  self-control  ?  What  were  the  thoughts  passing  in  the 
mind  of  that  man,  weary  and  worn  with  the  sorrows  of  his 
life?  - 

Camilla  had  heard  the  cough,  and,  by  one  hurried  glance, 
satisfied  herself  that  he  was  awake.  Her  eyes  were  now 
bent  steadily  upon  her  book,  but  her  heart  throbbed  to  her 
very  temples.  She  had  so  often  determined  how  she  would 
approach  him.  and  what  she  would  say ;  but  now  she  was 
conscious  of  nothing  save  a  vague  feeling  of  anxiety.  Although 
her  eyes  were  downcast,  she  distinctly  felt  that  Kostling  was 
gazing  at  her  fixedly, — that  he  was,  as  it  were,  photographing 
her  picture  on  his  mind ;  and  she  grew  giddy,  as  one  does  when 
the  photographer  removes  the  cover  from  the  glass  of  his  ap- 
paratus and  says  "  now  !"  For  some  seconds  she  lost  all  sense 
of  where  she  was,  and  of  the  meaning  of  the  moment.  Years 
vanished,  and  she  was  once  more  sitting  with  the  playmate 
and  friend  of  her  youth  in  his  pleasant  room  in  the  Kostling 
house.  Yes,  it  was  the  same  room  that  had  always  been  his, 
because  he  so  liked  the  outlook  upon  the  garden.  She  was 
roused  by  the  low  call,  "  Camilla  !"  and,  not  knowing  what  she 
did,  she  answered  the  familiar  voice  as  she  had  always  done, 
so  many  many  years  ago,  "  Lorenz  dear?"  She  looked,  and 
saw  the  old  man  half  sitting  up  in  bed,  his  pale  face  flushing, 
his  eyes  sparkling  with  delight. 

"It  is  you  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  It  is  really  you !"  and  sank 
back  among  the  pillows. 

Camilla  was  herself  again  in  an  instant.  She  saw  that  he 
81* 


366  THE  GREEN  GATE. 

must  not  be  left  to  himself,  but  that  any  display  of  emotion  on 
her  part  would  agitate  him.  She  went  to  his  bedside,  and, 
kneeling  down,  put  her  hand  upon  his  arm,  and  said,  gently, 
"  You  must  be  calm,  dear  Lorenz, — quite  calm, — or  I  cannot 
stay  with  you ;  and  I  should  like  so  much  to  stay.  Will  you 
not  be  perfectly  calm  ?" 

"  I  will,  Camilla,"  he  answered,  in  a  faltering  voice ;  "  only 
stay  with  me." 

"  We  need  say  nothing  more  to  each  other,  Lorenz,"  she 
continued,  stroking  his  hand.  "  We  have  both  consigned  all 
that  troubled  us  to  my  son's  keeping ;  his  love  has  purified 
it,  and  returned  to  each  only  what  can  bless.  I  know  that 
I  need  not  ask  for  forgiveness,  and  you  know  that  I  have 
never  forgotten  my  dear  brother.  Let  us  not  say  another 
word  about  it.  Dr.  Kreutzer  will  let  me  stay  and  take  care 
of  you  if  he  sees  that  it  does  you  no  harm,  and  that  it  gives 
you  pleasure.  So  be  calm,  Lorenz  dear." 

He  gently  smiled.  "  I  have  you  again,  Camilla,"  he  said, 
"  and  it  is  as  if  I  never  had  lost  you.  Ah,  I  never  lost  you, — 
you  have  been  with  me  always.  But  to  behold  you  once  more 
with  mortal  eyes  before  I  died  was  more  than  I  dared  to  hope, 
and  it  makes  life  dear  to  me  again." 

"  Do  not  talk  of  dying,"  she  entreated.  "  Let  us  hope  you 
will  soon  be  well  again." 

"  I  have  been  ill,"  he  replied ;  "  but  that  is  all  over  now. 
Let  the  end  come  when  it  will ;  I  can  face  death  or  life  with 
equal  courage." 

Camilla  seated  herself  beside  him,  and  he  took  her  hand. 
Thus  they  talked  together,  like  friends  who  have  long  been 
separated,  and  who  have  much  to  ask  and  to  learn.  Thus 
Xaver  found  them. 

"  Why  have  we  lived  apart  so  long?"  Kostling  asked. 

The  physician  himself  was  surprised  to  find  the  old  man's 
pulse  so  calm.  "  Your  mother  has  a  soothing  effect  upon 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  367 

him,"  he  observed  to  Schb'nrade.  "  We  may  leave  them  to- 
gether without  anxiety.  But  you  must  not  entertain  the  idea 
that  this  improvement  in  his  condition  gives  any  hope  of 
recovery.  A  heart  so  diseased  as  his  often  ceases  to  beat  very 
suddenly." 

Two  days  passed  without  any  perceptible  change.  By  de- 
grees Kbstling  learned  everything  concerning  Xaver's  relations 
with  his  father,  even  to  the  latest  occurrences  that  had  led  to 
the  Count's  reconciliation  with  Camilla.  On  the  morning  of 
the  third  day,  after  an  excellent  night,  the  sick  man  began 
to  speak  of  this  again.  Camilla  would  have  talked  of  other 
things,  but  Kbstling  said,  "  I  can  hear  it  all  without  jealousy. 
I  am  really  your  brother  once  more,  Camilla.  If  I  had  the  dis- 
posal of  your  hand,  and  the  Count  sued  for  it,  I  would  gladly 
place  it  in  his.  From  all  that  I  hear,  he  is  now  worthy  of  you." 

Camilla  was  silent. 

"  It  is  strange,"  he  continued.  "  I  imagined  that  I  hated 
the  Count  as  I  could  hate  no  other  man,  and  certainly  I  was 
filled  with  hostility  towards  him.  But  now  that  I  know  you 
reconciled  to  him,  it  is  as  if  I  partook  of  your  gentler  dispo- 
sition of  mind.  I  cannot  think  unkindly  of  him  any  longer. 
And — shall  I  tell  you  all  ? — it  seems  to  me  that  I  must  place 
the  seal  upon  your  forgiveness  of  him,  that  it  may  be  full  and 
complete,  and  no  jot  of  rancour  remain  between  you.  Yes,  yes ! 
I  should  like  to  clasp  his  hand  once  more  in  this  world,  that 
the  last  spark  of  enmity  between  the  two  houses  might  be 
extinguished,  and  Xaver's  inheritance  be  perfect  peace.  I 
should  like  it." 

Camilla  consulted  with  her  son.  It  was  agreed  to  telegraph 
for  the  Count.  The  next  night  he  arrived,  and  the  morning 
afterwards  Xaver  announced  his  arrival  to  his  mother  and  his 
old  friend.  "  We  have  been  talking  together  in  my  dreams," 
the  latter  said.  "  Bring  him  to  me,  and  tell  him  that  I  know 
all  there  is  in  his  heart ;  he  must  trust  me." 


368  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Half  an  hour  afterwards  Xaver  led  his  father  to  the  old 
man's  bedside.  The  Count  was  much  agitated,  and  could  with 
difficulty  suppress  a  passionate  entreaty  for  forgiveness.  Kb'st- 
ling's  hand,  too,  trembled,  and  his  voice  faltered  as  he  said, 
"  Let  us  close  the  book  whose  pages  are  inscribed  with  the 
enmity  of  centuries.  I  wish  to  leave  this  world  in  peace, 
and  I  will  take  it  with  me  to  lay  it  down  before  the  throne  of 
God.  And  that  the  cause  of  the  last  conflict  may  be  blotted 
out,  and  wrong  be  made  right,  receive  Camilla  from  my  hand, 
Count  Gleichenau.  For -the  first  time,  she  will  be  truly 
yours."  He  beckoned  Camilla,  who  stood,  much  agitated,  at 
a  little  distance,  to  approach,  drew  her  towards  him,  kissed 
her,  and  placed  her  hand  in  the  Count's.  "  Be  once  more 
what  you  were,"  he  said,  gently,  "  when  love  united  you. 
God  bless  you — as  I  do — from  my  heart — from  my  Very 
heart " 

His  words  grew  fainter  and  fainter  ;  at  last  his  lips  moved 
only  in  an  indistinct  murmur,  and  his  head  sank  forward 
upon  his  breast.  Xaver  had  thrown  his  arms  around  him  to 
support  him ;  he  felt  the  old  man's  weight  become  heavier, 
and  he  laid  him  gently  down  upon  the  pillows.  The  dying 
gaze  sought  Camilla,  the  failing  fingers  clasped  the  hands  that 
he  had  united  in  his  own, — and  the  heart  ceased  to  beat. 

For  some  minutes  profound  silence  reigned  in  the  room, 
broken  only  by  a  sob  from  Camilla.  Then  the  Count  turned 
to  her,  put  his  arm  around  her,  and  said,  "  Will  you  under- 
stand his  request  to  us?  Camilla,  will  you  honour  his  last 
words  ?" 

She  burst  into  tears,  and  threw  herself  upon  his  bosom. 
Xaver  embraced  both.  "  Mother !  Father  !  Through  con- 
flict to  peace !" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  369 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

LORENZ  KOSTLINQ  was  gathered  to  his  fathers  in  the  family 
vault  in  the  church-yard  of  the  old  Liebfrauen  Church.  His 
coffin  was  followed  to  the  grave  by  half  the  town.  Moritz 
and  Lena  appeared  among  the  chief  mourners ;  they  walked 
side  by  side,  and  every  one  now  knew  that  they  were  betrothed. 

A  few  days  later  his  will  was  opened.  It  consisted  but  of 
a  few  lines.  Camilla  was  the  heiress  of  his  wealth  ;  a  hand- 
some legacy  was  left  to  the  town,  and  his  old  housekeeper  was 
recommended  to  Camilla's  care.  The  fear  lest  there  might 
have  been  a  clause  directing  the  preservation  of  the  old  family 
structures  was  entirely  unfounded. 

"  He  had  forgiven  before  we  were  aware  of  it,"  said  Xaver; 
"  this  will,  drawn  up  before  my  arrival,  is  an  undeniable  proof 
of  his  magnanimity.  Thank  God,  no  one  can  accuse  us  of  in- 
fluencing his  testamentary  dispositions !" 

"  And  the  green  gate?"  Moritz  asked,  who  had  been  not  a 
little  anxious  on  that  score,  although  from  delicacy  he  had 
hitherto  refrained  from  speaking  of  it. 

"  It  now  belongs  to  my  mother,"  Xaver  replied,  "  and  she 
certainly  will  but  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  deceased  if  she 
removes  from  mortal  eyes  this  memorial  of  ancient  enmity." 

"  Let  the  inscriptions  and  carvings  be  first  carefully  pre- 
served, to  be  placed  beside  our  friend's  coffin,"  said  Camilla. 
"  All  that  then  remains  of  the  old  gate  is  yours,  to  do  with 
as  you  think  best." 

This  was  the  end  of  their  troubles.  The  gate  could  be  taken 

down,  the  street  could  be  opened ;  the  great  railway-project 

was  assured,  and  Moritz  Amberger  held  his  head  high  again 

on  'Change.     Feinberg  felt  he  was  vanquished,  and  gave  up 

Q* 


370  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

all  opposition.  There  was  a  rumour  that  he  intended  leaving 
the  town  for  a  distant  city,  where  his  future  son-in-law  was  to 
be  his  partner  in  business.  It  was  thought  that  the  latter 
needed  to  be  closely  watched.  Frau  Feinberg  and  Sidonie  re- 
mained in  Berlin,  where  a  magnificent  house  was  purchased,  that 
the  young  couple  were  to  take  possession  of  upon  their  marriage. 

Moritz  Amberger  undertook  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  the 
projected  railway  and  put  them  all  in  working  order.  "  Let 
me  show  now  what  I  have  learned,  and  of  what  I  am  capa- 
ble," he  said  to  Xaver.  "  You  can  go  to  Florence,  where  your 
heart  already  is,  with  perfect  safety." 

Old  Vogelstein  was  induced  to  remove  with  his  daughter 
and  granddaughter  to  the  Kostling  house,  as  steward  of  Ca- 
milla's rich  inheritance.  Lena's  outfit,  also,  could  be  much 
more  easily  provided  in  town.  Camilla,  the  Count,  and  Xaver 
showered  gifts  upon  her.  "  Do  not  make  it  too  easy  for  my 
Moritz  to  marry  a  poor  girl,"  she  said,  gaily.  Her  mother 
was  in  an  ecstasy.  "  Dear  child  !"  she  exclaimed  ;  "  she  de- 
serves it  all  for  her  brave  father's  sake !" 

"Pray  make  haste,"  Moritz  begged,  "that  our  marriage 
may  not  be  long  deferred.  Of  course  we  must  wait  for  my 
mother,  who  has  not  yet  even  bestowed  her  maternal  blessing 
upon  our  betrothal.  But  let  the  marriage  take  place  as  soon 
as  possible  after  her  arrival,  and  there  shall  be  a  merry  winter 
in  the  old  Amberger  mansion !  Philip  and  his  young  wife, 
and  I  and  my  young  wife !  If  the  Herr  Freiherr  von  Hone- 
burg-Schonrade  and  his  young  wife  will  but  spend  Christmas 
with  us,  there  will  be  jolly  times  indeed  !" 

"  Honeburg-Schunrade !"  Xaver  exclaimed,  with  a  laugh. 
"  I  like  the  combination ;  it  shall  surely  be  engraved  on  my 
next  visiting-cards.  What  do  you  think  of  the  Countess 
Gleichenau-Bellarota?"  he  whispered  in  his  mother's  ear. 

"For  shame!"  she  whispered,  in  return.  "As  if  I  could 
be  married  from  off  the  stage  !" 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  371 

Every  day  Xaver  grew  more  impatient  to  be  off  for  Flor- 
ence, whither  he  would  have  departed  already,  had  not  Ca- 
milla expressed  a  wish  to  accompany  him, — without,  however, 
seeming  in  a  great  hurry  to  arrange  the  preliminaries.  At 
"last  Xaver  declared  that  Philip  could  wait  no  longer,  and  the 
time  of  his  departure  was  fixed.  That  very  day  the  Count 
and  Camilla  had  a  long  tete-ci-tete  conversation,  after  which 
the  Count  took  counsel  with  his  son  with  regard  to  "  a  most 
important  matter."  Xaver  left  him  with  a  cordial  grasp  of 
the  hand  and  an  assurance  that  all  should  be  prepared. 

The  Count  then  returned  to  Berlin,  to  attend  to  various 
formal  arrangements  and  to  bring  back  Kunibert.  In  the 
mean  while,  Xaver  announced  that  he  wished  to  take  actual 
possession  of  the  Honeburg.  He  took  a  corps  of  workmen 
thither  with  him,  and  returned  forty-eight  hours  afterwards,  de- 
claring that  his  castle  was  now  ready  for  the  reception  of  guests. 
"  And  I  desire  to  invite  you  all,"  he  said,  "  to  spend  to-morrow 
with  me.  My  mother,  my  father,  and  my  brother,  who  are 
to  arrive  to-night  from  Berlin,  Moritz  Amberger  and  his  Lena, 
friend  Vogelstein  and  his  daughter,  and,  lastly,  Dr.  Sperling, 
who  knows  more  about  the  old  castle  than  all  the  rest  of  us 
together,  with  the  pastor  of  the  Liebfrauen  Church,  who  spoke 
so  touchingly  at  Herr  Kostling's  funeral.  These  last-named 
gentlemen  I  shall  drive  over  myself;  carriages  will  await  the 
others  at  the  Amberger  and  Kostling  mansions.  I  pray  you 
all  to  come  in  festal  array." 

It  was  a  glorious  morning ;  the  sky  down  to  the  very  horizon 
was  as  clear  and  blue  as  if  no  clouds  could  ever  veil  it ;  the  air 
warm,  but  not  sultry.  The  occupants  of  the  carriages  rolling 
through  the  green  gate  and  across  the  bridge  looked  down  into 
lie  ditch  where,  on  the  gravel-paths,  the  lonely  old  man  in  the 
blue  coat  was  no  longer  to  be  seen.  Over  the  beds  and  through 
Jie  bushes  the  two  cats  were  scampering  after  the  birds, — they 
were  now  Lena's  especial  care  ;  on  the  moor  the  larks  were 


372  THE    GREEN  GATE. 

carolling  gaily ;  on  the  tow-path  some  boatmen  were  dragging 
a  skiff  along  the  river  by  a  long  rope,  its  red  pennon  hanging 
limp  at  the  mast-head.  When  the  road  near  the  ruins  grew 
narrow  and  uneven,  the  guests  descended  from  the  carriages, 
and  went  the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot  to  the  garden. 

As  they  entered  its  precincts,  a  flag  fluttered  out  from  a 
flower-wreathed  flagstaff,  on  the  summit  of  the  old  watch- 
tower,  and  from  the  lofty  platform  around  it  floated  down  the 
notes  of  a  hymn,  played  by  a  band  of  wind  instruments.  A 
triumphal  arch  of  flowers  was  erected  over  the  stone  door-posts 
of  the  garden  gate,  and  there  was  another  inside  the  court-yard, 
while  all  the  path  to  the  house  was  strewn  with  roses  and  green 
boughs,  and  the  windows  were  hung  with  wreaths  and  festoons 
of  green.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight. 

Xaver  received  his  guests  at  the  old  fountain,  embracing 
most  fondly  his  mother,  who  was  greatly  agitated,  and  then 
clasping  his  father's  hand  warmly,  without  speaking.  He  was 
almost  overcome  at  the  thought  of  all  that  had  here  transpired 
between  these  two,  so  dear  to  him. 

He  conducted  them  within  the  house,  and  when,  after  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  they  appeared  again  in  the  court-yard,  a 
delicate  wreath  of  flowers  rested  lightly  upon  Camilla's  black 
hair.  Xaver  conducted  them  along  the  flower-strewn  paths  to 
the  lindens  by  the  old  wall,  beckoning  to  the  rest  of  the  guests 
to  follow.  There,  above  the  old  altar-stone,  a  mimic  chapel  of 
greenery  had  been  erected,  and  within  it  stood  the  venerable 
clergyman  in  his  surplice,  waiting  for  the  pair  who  now  knelt 
before  him.  Xaver  laid  his  hand  upon  Kunibert's  shoulder, 
and  Moritz  and  Lena  stood  arm-in-arm. 

Again  the  notes  of  sacred  music  floated  down  from  the  high 
tower, — a  most  touching  sound ;  and  then  the  clergyman  spoke, 
reminding  those  present  how  lately  they  had  stood  beside  an 
open  grave,  to  which  had  been  consigned  the  mortal  remains 
of  a  man  who  had  suffered  much  during  his  life,  but  who  had 


THE   GREEN  GATE.  373 

left  the  world  at  peace  in  his  heart  with  those  who  had  done 
him  great  wrong.  "  To-day,"  he  continued,  "we  are  about  to 
fulfil  his  last  and  fondest  wish,  to  obey  his  injunction,  to  forget 
as  he  forgot,  and  to  remember  only  as  he  remembered.  At  this 
solemn  moment  let  his  spirit,  the  spirit  of  peace  and  love,  hover 
about  us  and  consecrate  our  thoughts.  Through  conflict  and 
struggles  you  have  attained  peace  ;  he  in  whom  your  love  was 
strong  has  reunited  you, — the  son  to  whom  you  gave  life  en- 
riches your  own  fourfold.  In  memory  and  oblivion  then  let 
there  be  solemnized,  not  a  new  union,  but  the  confirmation 
before  these  witnesses  of  the  old  one,  and  let  it  be  so  strong 
that  an  eternity  shall  not  suffice  to  dissolve  it.  God  grant  that 
this  may  be !" 

He  then  performed  the  marriage  ceremony,  and  Jaid  his 
hands  in  blessing  on  their  heads.     The  music  from  the  tower . 
completed  the  solemnity. 

No  one  liked  the  idea  of  going  within-doors  on  such  a  glo- 
rious day.  A  table  was  spread  beneath  the  old  linden  by  the 
fountain,  and  here  the  guests  enjoyed  the  marriage-feast  which 
the  lord  of  the  castle  had  prepared  for  them.  "  We  will  return 
here  in  the  autumn,"  said  the  Count,  "  when  Xaver  and 
Katrine,  Moritz  and  Lena,  celebrate  their  double  marriage, 
and  we  will  pass  some  quiet  weeks  here.  Shall  we  not, 
Camilla?" 

She  assented.     "  If  Xaver  does  not  need  the  house." 

"  Oh,"  he  exclaimed,  "  there  will  always  be  room  enough 
here  for  you." 

"  Then,  Moritz,"  said  Lena,  with  a  pretty  little  pout,  "  what 
is  to  become  of  your  promise  to  buy  the  castle  ?" 

"  It  is  such  a  step  from  the  town,"  Xaver  rejoined;  "  and 
a  Professor,  you  must  remember,  does  not  have  very  many 
holidays." 

The  same  evening  the  Count  and  his  wife  departed  for 
Florence  with  their  two  sons ;  but  they  travelled  too  slowly  for 

32 


374  THE   GREEN  GATE. 

Xaver's  impatience,  and  he  left  them  at  Munich,  to  hurry  on 
to  his  Katrine,  from  whom  he  had  been  separated  for  what 
seemed  an  interminable  length  of  time. 

Ah,  what  a  meeting  it  was !  Frau  Amberger  placed  Ka- 
trine's hand  in  the  Freiherr's,  remarking,  with  a  self-satisfied 
smile,  that  she  had  always  thought  the  Professor  was  some- 
body. Philip  presented  his  Lucia.  "  It  was  an  exceedingly 
clever  idea  of  ours,"  he  said,  shaking  his  friend's  hand,  "to 
leave  the  choice  of  a  hotel-conveyance  to  chance  !" 

"  But,"  the  Professor  replied,  in  a  warning  tone,  "  suppose 
you  had  said  eleven  instead  of  twelve?" 

"  I  cannot,"  said  Philip,  "  suppose  that  I  could  possibly 
have  been  so  stupid." 

Not  long  afterwards,  a  happy  party  were  sitting  again  around 
a  table  at  a  marriage-feast,  this  time  not  beneath  the  open  sky, 
but  in  the  spacious  dining-hall  of  the  Palazzo  Bellarota.  Signor 
Uccello  did  the  honours  with  great  dignity.  When  the  cham- 
pagne was  sparkling  in  the  glasses,  Xaver  called  his  Katrine's 
attention  to  the  decorated  ceiling.  She  looked  up,  her  fair 
hair  almost  touching  his  black  curls,  and  with  his  glass  he 
described  in  the  air  the  circlet  in  the  decoration  above  them. 
"  Look !  Do  you  not  see,"  he  said,  "  that  we  have  fortune's 
wheel  in  our  escutcheon  ?" 

She  laughed  a  low,  happy  laugh,  and,  looking  across  the 
table,  he  met  Camilla's  tender  smile. 


THE   END. 


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